


Love Always Perseveres: How Lizzie Helped Her Uncle Find His Love-Story

by TashanaAmbrosia



Series: Love Is... [2]
Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Good Moments with the family, Have you ever heard a little kid say fork wrong?? - Seth's super amused, Humor and a lot of fun twists, I don't think you'll regret reading this, I know it's an OC with a cannon character - but it's really worth the read...I think, Kate's exactly the kind of Momma you'd expect, Richie loves being an Uncle, Seth/Kate established relationship and being parents to Lizzie, This is set-up for the Epilogue, Toddler craziness and cuteness, all the family feels, um...Grandpa Eddie -anyone???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-03-27 17:27:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13885626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TashanaAmbrosia/pseuds/TashanaAmbrosia
Summary: Well, we've had some time pass with our little family and despite some of its unconventionalness, you certainly would find a more loving family - even if we're still under FCC supervision for adult language. Little Miss Lizzie is a toddler and she's definitely almost all Gecko girl. She got daddy, Uncle Richie, and Grandpa Eddie wrapped around her finger; looks like Kate's still the tough one here.With Kate still in school, it's nice to have her almost brother-in-law watching Lizzie, but there seems to be something going on with him lately. Who is the lovely lady?This is the set-up for the Epilogue and while you don't need to read to for things to make sense, it will give a few moments more meaning. Also, there are some great scenes in this.





	1. Chapter 1

 

**Love Always Perseveres: How Lizzie Helped Her Uncle Find His Love-Story**

 

**May 12, 2020**

> _There was a conversation going on between Madison and Dr. Whelan, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the darkening monitor. It felt like a moment from his childhood, something on the tv had scared him, so he’d clamped his eyes closed, but the picture had still been there. The image of his child was already was imprinted in his mind’s eye in the same way. Wait, his child? No, no that child wasn’t his. He’d been so adamant that despite DNA, that this was her child and her choice. This wasn’t anything that he’d ever wanted, but to see it, to hear it, and to put the reality of what was happening into brilliant technicolor...He was still holding Madison’s hand as the doctor excused herself._  
>  _He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure if he had the words to explain, “We gotta do this different.”_  
>  _“I don’t understand.” Confusion flashed in her green eyes._  
>  _“This isn’t working. The way we’ve been doing things, been living; we can’t keep it up.” He couldn’t hold her hair when she was throwing-up, then abandon her for the important stuff._  
>  _“Oh…” She bit down her lip. “I don’t have anywhere to go here in Austin. I don’t want you to leave your home…”_  
>  _“No.” He clasped her hand tighter. “No, I mean me. I can’t half-ass this anymore. You need someone you can actually depend on and, despite how we got here, we’re in this together. You doin’ this on your own, it ain’t workin’. I don’t want you to be alone in this anymore. That’s not fair to you, and it’s not right.”_  
>  _She blinked at him, but he couldn’t figure out what she was thinking, so he tried to push through this. “It’s my kid.”_

There was something in the syntax of this section. This was a clear pivot point of the story: highlighting the beginning of the turn in DJ’s character, but there was something missing. It was almost like this writer was on the outside looking in…

She flipped to where she had a star-shaped tab jutting out and scanned the lines as she bit down on the end of her pen. She had seen that slight disconnection in another section.

> _Madison’s expression was still one of, what he could only think to describe as, reverence as her fingers slipped away from his. She laid her hands on her stomach. “I’m so glad I’m not alone.” Her voice cracked; unshed tears in her green eyes as she looked over at him. “Thank you for coming with me, Zane.”_  
>  _“You’re family, and we take care of each other.” His brother was an idiot for missing this; for not being here with Madison, and for missing the opportunity to see and hear his child. He was gonna have a discussion with DJ about this situation tonight._

  
There was something so longing in this writer’s words, it was almost like a plea to fate about wanting to find this kind of affection; this kind of belonging… _Wow, she needed more coffee if she was going to romanticize his prose like this._ But at the same time, wasn’t there something similar in that second fist fight scene? She flipped to the passage marked with a square-shaped tab.

> _Zane grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt, slamming his back against the car. “You don’t even know what you have! You have everything in that house. It got handed to you; put into your damn lap. You have a sweet girl that cares about you and a kid on the way, but all you want to do is run around like you’re Jessie-Fucking-James. You have something that I’m never going to get my hands on. I don’t know how you managed to get your head up so up your ass that you can’t see that, but you better get it out before I…”_  
>  _“Before you what?” This had devolved into an all-out brawl. He struck Zane in the face and his brother’s glasses flew off. Zane kneed him in the gut and they were scrambling and scrapping back and forth with intent to do actual harm. Zane landed another solid blow to his face and DJ spit blood unto the ground. “Look, it ain’t my fault you ain’t right in the head..._

  
There was this agonizing jealousy, not about the girl herself, but about aching for that kind of love. She narrowed her eyes and underlined the section. This was the writer divulging himself in his work…this hadn’t been intentional. “What happened to you to make you think weren’t worthy to be loved?”

She closed the rough-drafted book, “You’ll Be Taken Care Of…” She still wasn’t sure about the title, it was good, but maybe it revealed too much? Maybe it needed to be simpler? She was going to have to try a few more ideas with the writer, if he agreed to work with her. She’d come across this manuscript by accident. One of her editors had thrown it away, but when she saw it sitting in the trash something told her to pick it up and she was glad that she had. The story was incredible, it had caught her by complete surprise and that didn’t happen often. She’d read it in practically one sitting; the writer's style had captivated her. There was something about this love story that melted her heart.

There had been so few sections that needed any real work, and from a new writer, that was rare. There were a few grammatical errors: a missed word, a wrong homonym, a misplaced comma, or an incorrectly-tensed verb here and there. The writing was meticulous; it had been crafted with affection like a soul bled-out on the pages… _She needed to finish her coffee._

Her office door opened and closed with a slam as Michelle let herself into her office. Michelle was a great assistant and a real asset to the busy publishing office. In fact, the dark-haired woman had paused in the middle of her interview because the former assistant was having trouble with the internet company. By the time Michelle was done, they had a thirty-dollar, monthly discount. Michelle took perfect messages, wasn’t intimidated or star-struck by their celebrity clients, and had this peculiar magic of making things fall into place. The biggest issue with Michelle was once, she closed that door, she lost her filter, completely.

“So I sat through that meeting yesterday; listened to that spiel you spat out about how to focus on finding real writers. Matter of facts, you railed on Alex about integrity and picking new authors based on skill and not how they’d look on the back of a book cover. Worst of it, I even backed up your holier-than-thou crap. And now I see: you’re straight full of bullshit!” Michelle huffed putting her hands on her hips.

It was too early for this. She didn’t have enough caffeine in her system for this. She pressed her fingers against her temples, “What are you talking about?”

“Your ten o’clock is here fifteen minutes early, and you’re full of bullshit.”

“No, I heard you the first time. I’m just not sure what you mean in context.”

“Come here and look.” Michelle grabbed her hand and yanked her away from her cluttered desk over to the blind-covered window in the door. Michelle pushed down on one of the blind slats and forcibly turned her head to the opening. “You’re full of bullshit, because _that_ is your ten o’clock.”

Her eyes scanned the waiting area before falling on the dark-haired man in the dark suit sitting on the couch in the corner. He was wearing black framed glasses that only seemed to accentuate his handsome feature and his eyes…were magnetic… She snapped the opening closed and leaned against the door, heart thudding in her chest. _Her heart was thudding in her chest? She wasn’t some giggling teenager. What was wrong with her?_

“You didn’t know what he looked like, seriously?” Michelle gave her a long look, “Oh my god, you didn’t! He’s got this whole dark and dangerous vibe, but probably a bit of a nerd. He’s super dedicated to that pseudonym; introduced himself as Richard Gecko.”

“I thought that’s how he set the appointment.”

“Yeah, via e-mail. I thought he was doing the whole branding thing.” Michelle peeked back out through the blinds and let out a low whistle.

“Stop it.” She hissed and smacked Michelle’s hand, “You’re being a creep.”

“He didn’t even notice. He keeps checking his phone, typical guy. What do think he does for a living? I mean other than the writing thing. He’s got this quiet voice, about six/two I’m thinking, and really sexy blue eyes, which you normally don’t get when a guy’s got dark hair.”

“Are you finished breaking him down to a character sheet? Or did you figure out his shoe size too?”

“13.” Michelle shrugged, then defended her assumption. “Easy to tell in dress shoes.”

“Did you offer him any coffee?”

“Coffee? No, I didn’t offer him any coffee. He introduced himself, I told him to take a seat, then came in here to call bullshit, because he is hella hot! Also, you’re blushing.”

“I am not. And this is a business meeting not some fate-orchestrated cute-meet in a romance novella.” She spun her heel; she needed to clean up some of the mess on her desk. How had it gotten this piled up? She needed to take better care of her space, this was not the impression she should be giving potential clients.

“Oh, ho-ho-ho, Hunny-Hunny, you so think he’s hot!” She laughed, “You get all word fancy when you think a guy’s hot…” Michelle spun her back around.

_She really needed an assistant with better personal boundaries._

“Did you get dressed in the dark this morning?”

She looked down at her sweater and pants, “No. Why?”

“You’re wearing turquoise and forest-green. They are second-cousins-twice-removed. They shouldn’t even be in the same room together without a mediator…or alcohol.” Michelle started to unbutton her black shirt.

“What are you doing?”

“You are _not_ meeting him looking like a trainwreck. We’ll switch tops. Strip.” Michelle held out the top out to her.

“What?!? No! I’m not switching tops with you. You don’t think he’ll notice that I’m wearing the shirt that he just met you in?”

Michelle rolled her eyes, “Men don’t notice things like that.”

“Then why are we switching tops?”

“Because you’re making my eyes bleed.” Michelle folded her arms over her patterned bra. “This will look better with those high-waisted pants anyway, tuck it in and show off that hourglass.”

“Oh my god! Professionalism! Have you ever heard the word?” Despite her protests, she relented and pulled off her sweater, exchanging it for the button-up and situating it over her pants, before opting to tuck it in. _It looks more professional this way_.

Michelle practically clapped, “That’s the spirit, we’re gonna get you laid.”

“I do not sleep with clients!” She yelped. Michelle was the best assistant that she had ever had, which was unfortunate, because Michelle was also completely unhinged sometimes.

“Then do not publish his book. Because, girl, you need to get laid, preferably by that man in the waiting room.”

“Ha. Ha.” She let out a humorless laugh. “You do realize that I haven’t spoken a single word to him, he could be very strange.”

“You could use some strange in your life. I saw your last three dates: all white-bread, emotionally-impaired, accountants that were so boring that I had to call and rescue you. Geeze, take a chance for once in your dull, overly-planned, and overworked life.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“No, what’s ridiculous is you not looking your best to meet a writer that broke your heart when you read his work.”

“I didn’t say…”

“Ah! Don’t even try. The phrases you used were: beautifully heartbreaking, unique undiscovered voice, unbelievable that he’s not published, and this is the type of person that I want to meet and get to know. So when all of that,” Michelle ticked off points on her fingers, then pointed at the closed door, “is attached to that package. You do not let the opportunity pass you by.”

“We are meeting to discuss his book, nothing more. Besides, he’s probably got someone amazing in his life.”

Michelle smirked, “I knew it. I’ll go get him. After I fix your hair…How can you be so put together and such a mess at the same time?”

“I’m currently wondering about my skills as a hiring manager.” She bent her knees conceding to let Michelle straighten and tie-up her hair.

The dark-skinned woman ignored the comment and examined her work. “You look great. Now smile and flash _your_ baby-blues, maybe you’ll get a new writer and a date.” Michelle swept out of the office, but left the door open, “She’s all ready for you, sir.”

Michelle showed her appointment in and she smiled, offering her hand to the taller man, “Mr. Gecko, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m Anna Kane.”

.:.

“Ma-Ma! Mama! Dis?” Lizzie held up the block directly in front of Kate’s face making her jump.

“Oh, this is a great block. Can I have it?” Kate held out her hands and Lizzie gave it to her. “It’s so pretty. What color is this? What color is the block?”

The toddler giggled, “Bwoo! Is Bwoo!”

“That’s right! Look how smart you are.” Kate offered the toy back. “Would you like it back?”

“Oh yesh! Pwease!” Lizzie took it back nodding emphatically. “Mama, wook!” She stacked the blue block on top of her tower, then knocked the whole thing over with shrill squeal of delight. “Uh-oh! I ged it. Pick ‘am up.”

Kate couldn’t keep the smile off of her face watching her daughter play. Lizzie seemed to absorb anything that they taught her. The toddler was a little spoiled when it came to attention; she certainly had the three men in the house wrapped around her tiny finger. Kate occasionally felt like she was the only one that could hold her ground when the pouting lip and watery eyes started. Her little one was no stranger to theatrics, but Kate was proud that Lizzie was well-behaved more often than not. Lizzie had inherited her Grandma Jane’s, unique eyes, and while she was often as dramatic as Seth, Kate could see a little of herself in her daughter.

Lizzie had a huge vocabulary; she was around adults the majority of the time. So it was no surprise that she used words beyond her normal age range. Pronunciation, however, was another story. The word ‘fork’ was the perfect example, when Lizzie said it, it came out ‘fuck.’ The first time she asked for a fork at dinner Seth had spit out his water and howled with laughter, which made Lizzie say it even louder. Now, to his credit, he tried not to laugh when she said it, but then again, he also had a video on his phone of her screeching it happily, with him cackling in the background. That joke she had made about a swear oil-barrel vs. swear jar wasn’t going to be so much of a joke before too long.

She turned the page of her textbook and tried to remember the five-point method of the procedure, because she was trying to study for her finals. She picked up her cellphone, checking the time and her messenger app expecting to see a text from Richie, but his last text was from yesterday. He’d promised to watch Lizzie so she could study today. She was actually getting a little worried, he wasn’t normally late.

“Where’s your Uncle Richie, huh?” Kate asked her daughter, who immediately looked around the room.

“Unca Rechee?”

“I don’t know where he is, Sweetie. I thought he’d be home a while ago. Maybe he got busy. Oh, but Momma’s got to study or she’s gonna fail this class.” Kate sighed.

Lizzie scrambled up and threw little arms over Kate’s shoulder’s, “Is oh-key, Ma-Ma. Is oh-key.”

Kate smiled and kissed the side of Lizzie’s head, “Thank you, Lizzie. Everything’s okay.” Lizzie tugged on the pendant that Kate always wore. The circular, white-gold charm with Lizzie’s birthday stone on the front and a heart made up of Lizzie’s and Seth’s thumbprints on the back had been her first Mother’s Day gift. “Careful, Sweetie. You want to play some more or read a book?”

“Pway, Ma-ma, pway!” She toddled back to her toys and started arranging the blocks again, stacking them, and knocking them down.

Kate managed to go over her notes a bit between encouraging Lizzie to play and going over the colors of the blocks. The door opened and Richie rushed in hanging his jacket on the coat rack and loosening his tie. She would have called out a greeting, but Lizzie saw him first.

“UN-CA REE-CHEE!” She screeched holding her arms up for her uncle who scooped her up as he sat down on the floor with her.

“Hey, Nugget.” He offered Lizzie a block, before addressing Kate. “Sorry, I’m late. You can go study, I got her.”

“Thanks.” Kate was a little confused Richie’s body posture was stiff and he sounded distracted. “You’re home awfully late. Do you want to take a nap before I leave?”

“I’m fine. I just had a meeting, it ran late.” He answered her, but kept his attention focused on his niece. “What color is this, huh? What color is this block, Lizzie?”

“Red!”

Kate cocked her head to the side. Richie was never short with her. He was acting really strange.  “A meeting? Is everything okay?”

“She was lovely.”

“Huh? She who?” Kate’s interest instantly was peaked as she prodded, “Richie? Who did you have a meeting with?”

“No one. It’s nothing. You should go study.” He huffed and held up a block for Lizzie, “What color is this one?” Richie tweaked Lizzie’s nose making her giggle.

“YEW-OH!” She clapped her hands and took it from him to add it to her new tower.

“Yell-oh, Nugget. Ya-YA-Yell-oh.” He enunciated and Lizzie attempted to copy him, but it still came out: yew-oh.

“Don’t use my daughter as a shield. Who is this _she_?” Kate persisted.

“She’s no one. Just drop it.” Richie grumbled, but Kate noticed a business card sticking out of his shirt pocket.

“Lizzie, I think Uncle Richie needs a hug. Can you help with that?” Kate smirked knowing full well that Lizzie was going to practically tackle Richie.

“OH YESH!” Lizzie threw herself at Richie and he grunted at the impact. “Wuv YOU!”

“Thank you, Lizzie. I love you too.” Richie started, but glared at Kate as he realized what she was up to. However, he wasn't quick enough to stop her from snatching the card out of his pocket.  “Kate. Give that back.”

She read the card in her hand: Bi-Markos Publishing Company. Anna Kane, Senior Editor and Manager. “You met with a publisher? You wrote a book? Richie, when did you write a book?”

“Wen Unca Rechee?” Lizzie mirrored her mother.

“It doesn’t matter. Kate, give me the card back.” He sounded annoyed, but Kate snagged her phone. “Do not google her.”

“You said she was lovely. I just want to see how lovely she is.” Kate snickered and pulled up the company’s website. “What kind of a book did you write? When do I get to read it?”

“You don’t.” Richie shifted Lizzie to his other shoulder, “Are you hungry, Nugget? We’ll leave your Momma to be a snoop.”

“Na-nas pwease.” Lizzie requested and Richie got up with her still in his arms.

“I’m not being a snoop, I’m just curious about…” Kate clicked on the woman’s profile. This Anna was beautiful: blue eyes and long blond hair… _wait a minute, lovely??_ She’d let herself get distracted by the book thing. Richie hadn’t said the meeting had gone well or badly; he’d only said that she was lovely. Kate strode into the kitchen, where Richie was cutting up a banana for Lizzie, “She certainly looks _lovely_.”

“Don’t.” He warned Kate, before setting a star-shaped plate in front of Lizzie. “There you go, Lizzie.”

“Dank you.”

“You are most welcome.”

Kate hopped up on one of the bar stools at the island. “Richie, don’t get mad. I’ve just never heard you speechless before. This Anna must have made quite the impression on you. Did she like the book?”

“Yes.” He grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge offering her one. “She said that there’d need to be a few changes made, but that it was basically ready to publish. I agreed on a preliminary basis, I just have to go over the contract in more detail. She took me out to lunch to celebrate, and then when I walked her back to her office I asked to go to dinner with me.”

Kate was biting down on her lower lip to keep from squealing. Richie’s entire explanation of the situation was akin to how he’d give instructions about changing the oil in a car; it had none of his trademark storytelling flair. He was always so expressive, but it was like he couldn’t figure out the words he wanted. _Oh, this was so cute!_ She cleared her throat, “That’s great. It sounds like you two really hit it off. She’s very pretty.” She held up her phone.

“I mentioned that she was lovely. I’m not sure about how I handled the situation. I think I may have caught her off guard when I asked her to dinner. She likely didn’t even mean to agree or she was being polite. It’s probably not a good idea, I…”

“Richie, do you like her?” Kate folded her arms over her chest. She had to stop him before he went down the rabbit hole of self-doubt.

“I just met her. I’m not sure I…”

“Richie.”

“Ree-chee!”

“She’s very interesting. I enjoyed our lunch.” He admitted quietly. “I’ll get a better sense on Friday, when I take her out properly.”

 _Friday? Oh crap he forgot._ Kate fidgeted on the bar-stool, “This Friday?”

“Yeah.” Richie pulled off his glasses to clean them, then he put two and two together. “I’m watching Lizzie for you and Seth, so you can celebrate the end of your semester. And Eddie’s not due back from Kansas for another week.”

“It’s okay. Seth and I can go out another time.” Kate did not want to mess this up for Richie. She wanted him to have the opportunity to be happy.

“No, no, I already promised you. Plus Seth’ll kill me if I cock-block him.” He chuckled as Kate glared at him. “Sorry, but hey, I didn’t swear.”

“The vocabulary she’s gonna have.” Kate shook her head and glanced at the time on her phone. _She needed to get to the library; crap, crap, crap!_

“Well Lizzie is gifted. Aren’t you, Nugget?” Richie handed Lizzie her sippy-cup and she nodded empathically.

“Are you sure about rescheduling?” Kate offered one more time as she stuffed school books and her laptop into her bag.

“It was a fairly impulsive invitation. I’m sure I can get away with Saturday instead of Friday.”

“If you’re sure. But call her tonight; don’t cancel on her at the last minute.” Kate shouldered her bag and kissed the top of Lizzie’s head. “I’ll see you later. Lizzie, I love you.”

“Bye-bye, Mamma. Wuv U!”

“Bye Sweetie.” She waved back before admonishing the taller Gecko, “Richie, don’t forget.”

“Kate, this is me you’re talking to.”  
  
.:.

**May 15, 2020**

He was sitting in the car, warm sunshine pouring through the windshield as he adjusted his prescription sunglasses. The building layout was fairly simple: three floors, one elevator, two sets of stairs – three if you counted the fire-escape, ten offices in total and the one they needed was on the first floor. This would be a simple in and out.

“Now listen,” He cleared his throat, “what we’re about to embark on has to be completed with precision. There is no room for error here, no room for improvision – and I am aware that improvising has been a notorious habit of mine, but it won’t be happening today. So what I need to know is; are you ready for this, partner?”

A loud, excited squeal came from his partner, her sunglass nearly falling off from her enthusiastic nod.  “YESH!! Oh YESH!”

Richie chuckled and got out of the car, gathering his niece out of her carseat, “Now full disclosure I need you to be on your A-Game, because I messed up here a bit.” He got Lizzie up on his hip and locked the car, “See, I forgot about you a little.”

An exaggerated gasp came from the toddler, “No, No Unca Ree-chee. You no fo-geet me.” She shook her head slowly and stuck out her lower lip.

“I’m sorry. But I only forgot you a little, so it’s okay.” He started towards the building entrance. “I just forgot that I was watching you tonight and I made plans with Anna…”

“An-na?”

“Yes, Miss Anna, who I forgot to call all week and rescheduled our date. And now,” He let them in through the building’s heavy double doors, “now, her cellphone is going straight to voicemail and her office isn’t picking up. So we are visiting her at work to talk to her and that’s not exactly normal. So I am going to need you to be extra cute, so she doesn’t think that I’m any odder than I am.”

“Unca Reechee.”

He smoothed out her fly-away baby curls, “What, Nugget?”

“Is oh-key.”

“It’s okay?”

“Is oh-key.” She reassured him and hugged herself to him.

“Thank you, Lizzie. I know you’ve always got my back.” He kissed the top of her cheek and opened the door to the publishing office, which was oddly dark.

“Thank god, I’ve been waiting five hours for you to show up and fix the power.” The dark-haired woman he met earlier this week came around the corner in a huff. “Oh, it’s _you_. You’re not the repair guy.”

“I’m not.”

“Who’s the cutie?” Michelle stepped forward, but Lizzie buried her face in Richie’s shoulder shaking her head, murmuring a string of nervous: _noes_. “My bad, Sweetie, sorry. Anna’s not here. She had an event to host today.”

“I was trying to call her…”

Michelle motioned to the dark office, “No power; no phones.”

Richie shifted on his feet, “I tried her cellphone as well.”

“Yeah, she dropped it in a puddle this morning. She’s having the worst day. I have it sitting in a bowl of rice, but I’m not holding out a lot of hope…” Michelle trailed off and folded her arms over her chest as her voice got cold. “You’re here to cancel on her, aren’t you?”

“Not because I want to, but I have _her_ tonight. So if I could leave a message for Anna, I’ll get out of your hair.”

“Oh hell no.”

“No!” Lizzie echoed in his ear as she handed him her sunglasses. He put them in his pocket to get them out of way.

Michelle continued unfazed, “If you want to cancel; you’re doing it yourself.”

 _You are her assistant. It is literally in your job description to take messages._ Richie took a deep breath and clarified, “I would love to do it myself, but she isn’t here.”

Michelle scribbled an address down on a piece of paper and handed it to him. “The event is going on right now, two blocks up the road at that little bookstore. Now, you can tell her yourself.”

“Thank you.” Richie managed a tight-lipped smile at Michelle, “Come on, Lizzie. Change of plans.”

“Uh-oh.” She tried to reach for the paper in his other hand, “I can see. I can.”

He walked back out into the hallway and handed her the paper so he could pull out his cellphone. “Be careful with it.”

“Oh yeah. I can dis.” She studied the paper like was reading it.

He managed to get the map app open on his phone and put the address in, despite Lizzie’s ‘helping’ him read it. “Okay, we just need to go left and walk up the road. Are you ready to go on an adventure?”

“Need my gasses.” She insisted and Richie put them back on her face.

“Okay, off we go.” He strode up the sidewalk with Lizzie still on his hip. The bookstore was one of those little trendy spots that popped up a few years ago. _Because this wasn’t creepy or weird at all, just randomly showing up at some event she was hosting. He didn’t know what had possessed him to ask Anna out in the first place._ _He wasn’t any good at this._ It was just, when Anna put her hand into his to introduce herself, he’d felt this connection and he… he needed to know what it was.

A chipper woman greeted him when he stepped into the bookstore informing him that book reading was for a children’s book and it would be five dollars for his daughter to be able to listen in. Lizzie squirmed in his arms at the sight of other kids and a story being read. He corrected that Lizzie was his niece and handed the woman a five dollar bill from his wallet.

The woman held out her hand for Lizzie and led her to a spot on the floor in front of the author to sit. He stood awkwardly with other parents, not missing the stares he was getting from some of the women. _Maybe if he closed his eyes they wouldn’t notice him?_ He was happy that Lizzie seemed to be fascinated by the story. It wasn’t one he was familiar with this one. He’d buy a copy before they left, if it would get him out of reading, ‘This Is Not My Hat,’ even one time it would be worth it.

His eyes scanned the room and landed on a swish of blond hair and as if on cue, Anna turned towards him. Despite the fact that she looked a little confused, she gave him a bright smile and a small wave. He smiled back and even with the oddness of the situation there was something about seeing her that calmed him.

Anna made her way over to him and kept her voice low, “Well hello, this is a pleasant surprise.”

“Michelle said you were here and your phone isn’t working.” He explained. “I just…”

“Sorry, can you give me like ten minutes? I need to make sure this finishes up smoothly.” She interrupted, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Sure.” He nodded and watched her flit around the room as the reading finished up. He'd glance back at Anna, but he kept focused on Lizzie; he did not take chances with her. As the author finished everyone clapped and the woman who greeted him earlier handed out coloring pages and crayons for the kids.

Lizzie sat in a circle with the other kids, sharing her crayons without hesitation and talking up a storm. He could hear her little voice over the din and he checked the time on his phone after snapping a few pictures of her. It was later than he thought, they’d lost time when he was getting Lizzie dressed. She wanted to help with everything, and toddlers weren’t exactly time conscious, but he really didn’t care as long as his niece was happy.

He knew logically that he didn’t love her as much as her parents; biologically that’s just not how it worked. But he also knew that he’d never loved anyone like he loved his niece, she was the most precious thing in his life. He shared godparent responsibilities with Kate’s brother Scott, but they’d already had the conversation that if, god forbid, something happened to Seth and Kate that he’d be the one to raise Lizzie. He didn’t know what he’d do without Lizzie and honestly being her uncle was the best title he’d ever had.

“Hey, sorry about that.” Anna appeared on his right startling him out of his thoughts.

“No, I’m sorry to show up unannounced. You’re working.” He adjusted his glasses.

Anna smiled, “Oh this is a pretty simple event. We host them here all the time. I’m surprised…”

“Un-ca Ree-Chee! Wook! Wook!” Lizzie crashed into his legs, holding up the picture she’d colored. “I did dis.”

Anna knelt down to Lizzie’s level, “Wow, that is so pretty. Did you color that yourself?”

Lizzie was about fifty percent fearless with people and fifty percent shy. Seth bragged that his daughter simply knew who was trustworthy and who wasn’t. Lizzie kept a hold of his leg, but turned to Anna and showed her the picture. “Yeah.”

“You are very good at coloring.”

“I know dis. I is Lizzie.” Lizzie let go of his leg and twirled in place. “Who are you?”

“I’m Anna; it’s so nice to meet you, Miss Lizzie.” Anna offered her hand to Lizzie, who grabbed it immediately.

She squealed excitedly. “Unca Reechee, dis is An-na. We founds her!”

He picked Lizzie up and settled her on his hip, “We certainly did.” Anna stood up as he cleared his throat, “When I made plans with you, I forgot that already had dinner plans with Lizzie.”

“Well, that’s okay. I completely understand.” She looked upset or maybe disappointed? He couldn’t tell; he didn’t know her well enough to read her expressions. “Lizzie looks like she’s great company.”

“Anna too! Unca Reechee, Anna come wit us too.” She tugged on his polo shirt.

His eye twitched, just a little. “No Nugget, we’re gonna go home and I’m gonna make us something.”

“Anna too!” Lizzie demanded and despite her good nature and general excellent manners, she was a toddler. A toddler, who had taken a short nap, had not seen her parents since yesterday, and was about ten minutes from her normal dinnertime. He was pushing his luck with a potential temper tantrum. “Anna pwease too.” She stuck out her lower lip.

“Lizzie, we can’t just take Anna with us, she has things to do I’m sure.” He tried to reason with Lizzie, knowing the likelihood of this ending well was very low. Lizzie was a little on the stubborn side, no secret who she got that attribute from.

Her eyes filled with tears, “Unca Reechee, Anna too pwease. Dinner wit Anna.”

He ground his teeth knowing full well that this ‘no’ was about to cause a legit meltdown, but Anna asked, “Do you eat your vegetables like a good girl, Miss Lizzie?”

“Ah-huh.” Lizzie nodded, tears forgotten for a second. “I good gek-koh gurl.”

Anna grinned, “Well if you and your Uncle are interested. I know a great little café around the corner and they make great milkshakes when you eat all of your vegetables.”

“Oh YESH! Unca Re-chee, we go!” She reached out forAnna, “Anna too?”

“If Anna wants to come with us, then I think that would be alright.”

Anna offered him a coy smile, “Well, since Lizzie wants me to come along; how can I refuse?” She addressed his niece, “Did you like the book, Lizzie?”

“Oh yeah!”

“Give me a second.” Anna paced away and up to the author, who waved at them before signing a copy of the book. Anna handed it to Richie, “That’s on the house. The café is two blocks up and on the right, ‘The Blackboard.’ I just need to run home to change and feed my cat.”

“Kiddy?” Lizzie cocked her head to the side.

“Or I said another magic word.” Anna shook her head. “I live upstairs; you’re welcome to come up with me.”

“An editor, who lives upstairs from a bookstore?” He arched his eyebrow.

Anna smirked, “It used to be a coffee shop and I really miss that.” She inclined her head and Richie followed behind her with Lizzie out a side door of the shop. She put in a key into a small metal panel on the opposite wall and a camouflaged elevator door opened.

Lizzie let out an exaggerated gasp and Richie smiled at her, “Looks like Miss Anna is magic.”

“Ah-huh!”

“I don’t know about all of that.” Anna held the door for them when the elevator stopped and they walked down the dark hall.

“Monsers?” Lizzie gripped his shirt tighter.

“No monsters.” He promised.

“Oh-key.”

Anna opened the door to her apartment and let them in. She clicked her tongue, “Here, Jackal, here kitty-kitty.”

A little black cat yowled as it appeared from the interior of the apartment and Lizzie squirmed in his arms. Anna got the cat to come close and motioned for him. He knelt down, but kept a hold of Lizzie, because toddlers and cats could be a dangerous mix.

“This is Jackal. Do you want to pet her?”

“Oh yesh.” Lizzie wiggled even more and Richie held her arm.

“Very gentle, Nugget.” He helped her pet the cat and she was delighted, while Jackal looked tolerant.

“I’ll be just a second.” Anna hurried out of the room, snatching up an IPad on her way through the open living room.

Spaces could be very telling of a person. A living space could be akin to a journal, if a person was intelligent enough to know how to ‘read’ it. This space was warm, but sparse; Anna didn’t seem to be big on things. There was large window seat that faced out towards the Houston Grand Hotel and that seemed to be the most lived in area of the living room: cellphone charger plugged into the near outlet and the most clutter. Nothing matched; her furniture seemed to be an eclectic mix of things and there were books everywhere.

“Wery pwetty kitty.” Lizzie complimented Jackal as the cat purred at the attention.

“Yes, Jackel’s a very pretty kitty. You are doing a very good job being gentle and with your words.” He encouraged. He could hear Anna in her bedroom talking to someone; something about did it match?

“Okay, sorry about that.” Anna emerged from the hallway and he blinked in surprise.

She’d had her hair pulled back with all their previous encounters, but with it down she looked different; more relaxed? She was wearing a baseball t-shirt and jeans. “White Sox?” He questioned.

Anna grabbed her purse, “I grew up in Chicago. Die-hard baseball fan. Go Sox!”

“LET’S GO PATS!” Lizzie whooped as Richie stood up with her in tow. Every football game, Lizzie was tucked under Seth's arm, so she mimicked that battle-cry perfectly.

“You’re a Patriots fan?” Anna wrinkled her nose as she teased. “I don’t know if we be can friends.”

“Her father is a Patriots fan. No accounting for taste.” He smiled and let himself out so Anna could lock up. “Don’t hold it against her.”

“I would never.” Anna laughed and they made their way to the café, which true to its name had an entire wall painted with chalkboard paint.

It had been difficult to get Lizzie to focus enough to eat, because, being able to draw on the wall? That was a toddler’s dream. He was not ashamed to admit that he bargained with Lizzie to get her to eat. She was all fidgeting and wiggling, likely because she was getting pretty tired. It was already a little past six. Lizzie asked Anna all sorts of toddler questions and Richie couldn’t decide if his niece was the greatest wingman ever or if she was making this the oddest first date ever.

He paid for the dinner while Lizzie tugged Anna back to the wall to draw flowers and he couldn’t keep the grin off his face. He watched them for a minute as Anna traced Lizzie’s hand then turned it into a flower. He sauntered over to the pair, “Hey Nugget, you need to say goodbye to Miss Anna. It’s time for us to go home okay?”

“We watch Mo-an-ah?” Lizzie questioned as he picked her up.

He nodded, “Yeah we can watch that when we get home, but then to bed.”

She stuck out her bottom lip, “Anna comes too.”

This could only get more awkward if his ex’ walked into the café for some reason. He wasn’t sure why Lizzie was so instantly attached to Anna, not that he was complaining on the long-term, but for the moment it wasn’t doing him any favors. Anna had to think he was completely socially inept. _Why me?_

“Well Lizzie, I would love to come with you, but I’m sure your uncle wants some one on one time with you.” Anna again trying to defuse the situation before it could escalate.

A single crocodile tear ran down Lizzie’s cheek, “Pwease. Unca Reechee petty pwease. Anna comes too.” She pushed away from him and held her arms out for Anna, “Anna, pwease.”

Anna took her from him and gave her a hug, “Lizzie, you are so sweet…”

“Anna, pwease.” Lizzie started to pet Anna’s hair as she tearfully pleaded. “Anna pwease, you come too.”

Richie bit the inside of his cheek; he was just gonna have to deal with this meltdown.

“Too bad we’re not teenagers. The babysitter always sneaks the date in after the parents leave.” Anna had been rocking Lizzie in her arms, as she was talking to him, but she froze instantly and her cheeks colored with a five-alarm blush. “Oh that’s not what I…Oh my gosh…I’m not trying to…” She sputtered as she tried to save herself from what she just said.

 _Maybe he wasn’t the only one, who got awkward in situations like this._ He offered, “If Anna wants she is more than welcome to watch the movie with us, but only if she wants to.”

Lizzie nodded and put both of her hands on Anna’s face. “Pwease Anna. You come watch Mo-an-ah. Yes?”

Anna let out a little laugh, “How can I resist such an invitation? Maybe I’ll bring one my movies. Have you ever seen Kiki?”

“No? Who Kiki?”

“Kiki is a good witch and she makes deliveries on her broom and she has a little black cat.” Anna tapped Lizzie’s nose.

Lizzie clapped her hands, “Oh yesh! Unca Ree-chee, Anna comes with us!”

Richie took his niece back from Anna, “I hear that. Now, what movie is she talking about I wonder?” Because he was drawing a blank about a witch that made deliveries and he was pretty sure that he’d seen most every kid’s movie by this point.

Anna gathered her purse back up, “Kiki’s Delivery Service? Studio Ghibli? Miyazaki?” She attempted to clarify, but it only confused him more. “Oh you need to get on those. Strong girls that save the day. She’ll love them and they’re beautifully written.”

He held the door for them and they walked out into the warm May air. “I’ll keep that in mind. Do you know where Fast Eddie’s repair is on the edge of town?”

“I can pull up the map up on my IPad when go get my car keys.”

He nodded, “The house is about half a mile to the south. You can’t miss it.”

“Okay. I’ll see you there soon.”

With that Anna disappeared around the corner, “Where Anna go?” Lizzie broke into his thoughts.

“She’s going to get her car and meet us at home.” Richie got Lizzie back into her carseat and got them back to Eddie’s a little quicker than he probably should have. Now that he'd had a moment to think his brain was going a million miles an hour. _What was he thinking?_ He barely knew this woman and he let her around Lizzie and now inviting her to Eddie’s...Maybe he was crazy.

He got Lizzie ready for bed and had just changed her into her Batgirl pajamas when a knock sounded against the door.

“Is Anna?” Lizzie asked as he finished brushing her hair.

“Should be.” He scooped her up and answered the door for Anna. “Did you have trouble…”

“Anna!” Lizzie wriggled in his arms and Anna handed him the DVD case, catching Lizzie as she leaped away from him. “You are here! You comed. Down pwease! I can shows you! Come, come!”

Anna put Lizzie on the ground and toddler tugged on her hand.

“I think you’re getting a tour.” Richie explained.

“Oh, I see. Do I get to see your room, Lizzie?” Anna asked.

“YESH! Oh yeah! Stars! You see dem.” Lizzie pulled the blonde down the hallway. They walked into Lizzie’s room, and she showed off her brand new toddler bed that she was so proud of and grabbed her little, stuffed dog from the floor. “Unca Ree-chee, pwease da stars. Pwease.”

Anna looked at him curiously and he turned off the switch, then turned the dial to make the lights shine down on them. “Oh wow, Lizzie, you have real stars in your room.”

Lizzie was explaining one of the star legends in her excited babbling. Even he didn’t get everything she was saying, but Anna listened patiently nodding along and looking up at the stars.

“Hey Lizzie, if you wanna watch a movie, we need to start it, it’s getting late.” Richie reminded the toddler.

“Okey, okey. Led go.” She went squealing out of her room.

Anna walked down the hallway with him, “How did her parents get those stars up for her?”

“My Uncle and I designed it for her.” He admitted, “I…we wanted her to have a nice space.”

“It’s amazing. She’s lucky to have such a great family.”

“Come on! Ree-chee, Anna, come on!” Lizzie whooped.

“I think we’re late.” Anna smirked as they walked into the living room. She was looking around the room, eyes landing on pictures, then moving around the room. He wondered what this space told her about him. “Your family looks close.” She motioned to the Christmas picture they took last December.

“We are; a little non-traditional, but we grow on you.” He put the movie in the DVD player and sat on one end of the couch, Lizzie scrambling up on the middle cushion, and Anna sitting on the other side.

The movie started up with the main character leaving home with her pet cat, Jiji. Lizzie pointed at the screen. “Ackel! Ackel!”

Anna blinked a little surprised, “Wow, Lizzie, you’ve got an amazing memory. Jiji does look like Jackal, doesn’t he?”

“Oh yeah!” Lizzie furrowed her brows and tugged at Anna’s hand, “Anna, you come ‘oser. Sits here!”

“Lizzie, Anna’s a guest. Let's let her sit where she likes, okay?” Richie countered. How had this day gone from rescheduling a dinner date to the world’s most awkward first date curtsey of a toddler chaperon?

“Okay.” Lizzie nodded, but she pulled at Anna’s hand again. “You are here. Sit pwease wit me.”

Anna obliged Lizzie and moved closer to them, now Lizzie could basically sprawl across both of their laps, which she immediately did. Lizzie settled for a few minutes before commenting on the movie randomly asking questions.

Richie smoothed Lizzie’s hair, as she’d laid her head on his lap. “Come on Nugget, you have to be quiet; that’s the rule about watching movies at night.”

“I know dis.” Lizzie yawned, but rolled over to look up at him. “No! No! Unca Ree-chee you do it wrong. Anna is here. You need dis ‘ere. I can help.”

She wiggled up and lifted his arm, granted he wasn’t fighting her, as he wasn’t sure what Lizzie was doing. She stepped on his thighs and managed to get his arm over Anna’s shoulder than yanked at Anna again.

“Lizzie…” He started.

“Unca Ree-chee. Dis is right.” Her lower lip quivered as she insisted. “We cuddle like dis. Anna come ‘ere!”

He was going to die from embarrassment. Anna was never going to speak to him again after this disaster…

He picked up the scent of something citrus just as he felt Anna against his side and Lizzie being lifted up. “I didn’t realize that we had assigned seats, Lizzie. You should have told me.” She settled Lizzie on her lap rubbing the little girl’s back as Lizzie’s fingers curled into Richie’s shirt.

He didn’t move his arm, but glanced down at Anna, who offered him a smile, before addressing his niece again. “Is this how you sit with your mom and dad, Lizzie?”

“Uh-huh.” Lizzie nodded and nuzzled herself between them. “Unca Reechee, where Mama? Where Daddy?”

He winced expecting Lizzie to start crying, but before she could start, Anna’s voice soothed. “Lizzie, do you know why Kiki is so brave?”

The distracting conversation went back and forth for a while until Lizzie stopped responding and had probably fallen asleep. He felt eyes on him and he ventured a peek at Anna, who had her head resting on his shoulder. “I’m sorry about all of this. This wasn’t…”

“I think it’s a great first date.” She bit her lower lip and offered, “I knew from reading your work that your family is important to you. I feel privileged that you’d let me around her so quickly.”

“Shh. ‘iet now. Movie dis on.” Lizzie murmured.

He swallowed down a laugh, and let his eyes drift closed for a moment. It had been a long day. Seth and Kate had left last night after Lizzie had gone to bed and after sleeping on the couch and watching his niece all day; he was tired. He let himself relax; it wasn’t like he was going to fall asleep…

He felt Lizzie’s weight leaving his chest and his eyes snapped open, but instead of empty space, he was looking directly into his brother’s eyes. Seth gave him a look that clearly stated, ‘I got her; it’s okay.’

Richie blinked and observed Seth’s quirked eyebrow at Anna, who was curled up next to him sound asleep. _What time was it?_

Seth lifted Lizzie up and the toddler didn’t even stir. “Sneak yourself a date while babysitting?”

Richie made a face at Seth, who just snickered in response. Richie looked beyond his brother to Kate and she was grinning at him and offered him an enthusiastic thumbs up.

As soon as they disappeared down the hallway, Richie nudged Anna’s shoulder. The woman blinked and reached for Lizzie, who was no longer there. “It’s okay. Her parents are back. Let me walk you out.”

Anna rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up off the couch. He jumped at the colder temperature of the night air as they made their way to her car. He didn’t need or want an audience.

“Sorry, I fell asleep. I guess the day caught up with me.” Anna apologized tucking her hair behind her ears. “I had a really nice time. I know I gave you my cellphone number and I’m going to replace it tomorrow morning, so you could call me if you wanted. Maybe we could plan something for just us?” Even in the low light he could see the blush that crept into her cheeks.

“I’d like that.” He leaned down and lifted her chin, brushing his nose against hers, giving her time to back away if she wanted, but she didn’t. He skimmed his lips over hers and she returned the kiss gently, almost nervously. As he pulled away he mused, “Yeah, I think I’d like to spend some time with just us.”

“Okay.” She nodded, before getting into her car and backing out of the doorway.

He turned on his heel to go get some actual sleep, when he heard Seth call out from the doorway, “Who was your friend?”

“Shut up.” Richie snapped and stomped away, but he didn’t miss Seth’s laugh or Kate’s admonishment for his brother to be nice.  
  
.:. 

**July 5, 2020**

Seth watched the little hybrid car pull into driveway and he took a drink of his beer as Richie held out his hand for the blonde as she got out of the car. _Blonde? Well, that was new for Richie._ Richie tended to stick with darker, more made-up girls. This girl, who he recognized from about a month ago, seemed way less made-up and was a lot less loud. He hadn’t really met her yet, but was Seth was willing to give her a couple of points from the starting line because she seemed to make Richie speechless and that had never been a thing.

He observed the girl hold her hand out to Eddie and her posture seemed almost nervous. _Did she have something to hide?_

“Awe. I remember that moment.” Kate slipped her arm around Seth’s waist and he tugged her tight to him. The little sundress she was wearing was one of his favorites. “She’s so tall. If they have kids, they’ll be giants.”

“She ain’t that tall.” Seth countered and kissed the top of her head. “You’re just a midget.” He winced as she pinched his hip, “Ouch. You’re starting awful early today. You sure wanna push it already, _Little Girl?_ ”

“I’ll take my chances, _Old Man_.” Kate slipped away from his grasp, just as Lizzie noticed their new guest. They made their way over to where Richie’s introduction had gotten interrupted.

“ANNA!!” The toddler crashed against Anna as the woman knelt down to hug her. _Well, there was another point in Anna’s corner; if Lizzie liked her that was a good sign._ Lizzie was showing off her sparkly Americana top and new white sunglasses before pointing out that Anna was wearing a blue shirt and blue shorts.

“And this is my brother Seth and his girlfriend, Kate.” Richie introduced them and Anna shook his hand then Kate’s.

“It’s so nice to meet you both. Lizzie’s such a sweet little girl.” Anna complimented.

“She takes after her dad.” Seth grinned and Richie, Kate, and Eddie all groaned.

“The boy’s a bit delusional, Anna.” Eddie chuckled, “Lizzie gets all her good traits from Kate.”

Kate laughed, “He’s exaggerating. Lizzie’s her own little person. Aren’t you my little love?” she scooped up her daughter in her arms.

“Mamma, down! I pway with Anna! I pway!” Lizzie pushed against Kate.

“First it’s time for lunch. Aren’t you hungry as a hippo?” Kate nuzzled Lizzie’s cheek with her nose.

“Nom. Nom. Nom. I eat you!” Lizzie giggled and pretended to bite Kate.

Kate spun in a circle with Lizzie in her arms, “Oh no, who’s gonna save me from the Lizzie-monster?!?”

“Arrr! Grwwww! Arrrr!” The toddler growled and continued to make noises, before Seth snatched her up from Kate.

“What is going on here? No eating Mamma. That’s my job.”

“Seth!” “Really?!?!” Kate and Richie both exclaimed in near perfect synch.

Lizzie grabbed his face, “Uh-oh, Daddy.”

 _He was gonna pay for that joke later. He really needed to remember to watch that shit around Lizzie._ He tossed her up in the air, catching her effortlessly, “Uh-oh is right. At least you think I’m funny.” She squealed in delight as he repeated the toss a couple more times. He loved to hear Lizzie’s laugh, it never failed to make him smile, well that and the video on his phone of her saying fork as fuck.

Eddie shook his head and leaned closer to Anna, “Obviously, we’re all extremely well-mannered around here.”

She sounded a bit unsure as she tried to assure, “No worries, it takes work to offend me.”

His uncle smiled at Anna and handed her a plate with ribs from off the grill, “Homemade barbeque at it’s finest, if I do say so.”

She looked at the plate and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with her free hand, “Oh I don’t think I should…”

“Nonsense. First guest; first plate.” Eddie insisted. “Kate, when are Jess and your brother getting in?”

Kate looked at her phone, “At least another two hours and Margaret and Freddie won’t be here until later either. Freddie had to work part of the day.”

“No rest for the wicked.” Seth snickered as they sat down at the picnic table as starting passing around the dishes. Lizzie was trying to switch her sunglasses for his. “Lizzie, you can wear mine if you want, but yours are not gonna fit me. Why’d your Momma buy you white shades anyway?” Lizzie put her own sparkly glasses back on and bobbed her head to the music playing from the radio on the patio.

“Jess bought them as gift. Be nice.” Kate admonished, handing their daughter her favorite sippy-cup. “And Becki got her the top, before you fuss about the glitter. She’s super excited to see her in it, when her and Tobi come out tonight.”

“Tobi?” Lizzie leaned against Seth’s chest. _Yup, his black t-shirt was going to have red glitter all over it now; great._

“Becki and Tobi will be here later, Sweetie.”

“I wuv Tobi.”

“Nope. Foot down on that mess. You are too little for all that.” Seth groused.

Richie laughed, “Not allowed to date until she’s thirty, huh?”

“At least.” He confirmed.

Kate rolled her eyes, “Lizzie, do you want some sweet potatoes?”

“No dank you. Nannas pwease.” She nodded and took a drink from her cup.

Seth shifted Lizzie on his lap and avoided the piece of fruit that she was trying to share with him, “No thanks, Kiddo. Daddy doesn’t need a trip to the ER today.”

“UH?”

Seth kissed the top of her head. “Just eat your banana.” He reached around her and took a bite of meat that Kate had stripped off the bone for him. “Thanks, Babe.”

“Gampa Eddie, ‘ook!” Lizzie held out her arms to Eddie showing him her cup.

Eddie took Lizzie from him and sat back down with her blabbing in his ear. “I see that, Lil Bean. You want a bite of my potatoes?”

“No dank you.” Lizzie squealed as Kate handed the container to Eddie, “Crackers!”

Kate smiled and took a sip of her ice tea, before looking across the table at Anna, “Is the barbeque too spicy? Eddie and I tried a couple of different variations. I was worried it got too hot.”

The blonde shook her head, “No, no, it’s great. I’ve never had anything like it.” She complimented, but she was more picking at the meat then actually eating it. Maybe she was just a finicky eater? “Oh I almost forgot. I brought this for the host.” Anna pulled out a bottle of alcohol and handed it to Eddie.

“Well you certainly didn’t need to do that.” Eddie informed her, but took the bottle examining it while Lizzie rubbed her little hand on the label. “Garryana? I’m not familiar with this one.”

“It’s from Westland Distillery on the Northwest coast. It from the Native O…” Anna started to explain.

Seth snapped his fingers, “They started a Native Oak series last year, only release like 2500 bottles. How did you get your hands on one?” He grabbed the bottle as Eddie offered it to him reading the label.

“I edited the founder’s autobiography last year. He wanted to work with me after he found out I edited the autobiography for the current head of the Dalmore brewery in Scotland.” Anna took a bite of potato salad.

“Dalmore is some seriously high-quality whiskey.” Seth set the bottle on the table, making a mental note to put it in the freezer later. “You ever get any bottles from that guy?”

“I have a bottle of Oculus in my freezer.” She smiled. “I love the coffee hint at the end of it.”

“No shit?” Seth nodded appreciatively at the blonde. “Damn Richie, keep this one. She’s got primo taste.” He grunted at Kate’s elbow and didn’t miss her ‘we’ve-talked-about-the-swearing-in-front-of-her’ look.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Richie took a bite of his ribs.

“Is that what you normally edit? Biographies and such?” Eddie inquired.

“That’s how I got started.” Anna tucked her hair behind her ear. “Currently, I manage the other editors and host events. I rarely edit myself anymore, only for a select few clients, or when I’m specifically requested. Richie’s book was misfiled, that’s how it ended up on my desk.”

“So what did he write?” Eddie took a drink from his beer. “He won’t tell us and we’ve all tried to get it out of him.”

Anna glanced up at Richie for a moment before biting her bottom lip. He smirked and stood up, “Anna, would you like something to drink?”

“Oh, that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?” Eddie narrowed his eyes at Anna with mock seriousness.

“He is my client.” Anna defended, then answered Richie, “A diet pop would be fine, thank you.”

“Pop?” Kate looked confused.

Anna shook her head, “I always forget that one; I mean soda. I lived in Chicago most of my life.”

“Too cold for me.” Seth made a face.

“Too cold.” Lizzie echoed suddenly, realizing that she had been nodding off on Eddie’s shoulder. _It was way past her nap time._

“That’s one thing I don’t miss about Chicago. The winters were awful, but I loved having four seasons. Honestly, even with the cold, there’s no beating New Year’s Eve on the Pier. That’s the first memory I have with my mother, Emily. We moved to Chicago after she adopted me.” Anna averted her eyes to the table and started picking at her fingernail, but Richie captured her hand in his.

Seth observed Anna's body posture as she spoke and realized that she wasn’t hiding anything; she was shy. Richie typically picked up bossier chicks, nothing wrong with it, but he tended to let the skirt do the leading. Anna seemed content to stay tucked under Richie’s arm and answer questions vs. volunteering information.

“You were adopted?” Eddie asked.

Anna nodded, “I born here in Texas. Emily adopted me when I was six after my mother was killed in a car accident.”

“How awful. I’m so sorry, Anna.” Kate empathized.

“It’s alright. I’m okay, really.”

“What about your father?” Eddie questioned.

Anna shook her head, “I don’t know. Olivia, my birth mother, wrote John Doe on my Birth Certificate, so I have no idea who…”

“Down pwease. I pway now, Gampa Eddie. Okay bye-bye.” Lizzie interrupted.

“No, not yet. If you want to stay up for the fireworks, then you need to take your nap. And it is way past your naptime.” Kate informed Lizzie.

“I not tired. No nap, pwease, okay, dank you.” Lizzie fussed as Kate took her from Eddie.

“You need to lay down for a little while at least.”

Lizzie scrunched up her face for a moment before screeching angrily, “NO! NO NAP!”

Kate blinked a few times, before calmly explaining, “With that attitude, it is most definitely naptime. That is how tired little girls sound.”

“Oh no, I good geh-ko girl. I no nap now.” Tears rolled down Lizzie’s cheeks and she hugged Kate, “I sorry. Momma, I wuv you.”

Kate gave Seth a look like ‘do you see this show?’ before rubbing Lizzie’s back. “I love you too, Lizzie. But we are still going to take a nap.”

“No. No. No. No. I no nap.” Lizzie started trying to get away from Kate’s iron grip. She called out to Richie, Eddie, and Anna, before trying a desperate last attempt to be rescued from her awful fate. “Daddy, I want, Daddy! Daddy, pwease.” She was bawling full force trying to reach for him over Kate’s shoulder and he’d be damned if it didn’t break his heart.

“Listen to all this drama.” Kate soothed as she walked towards the house with the still crying toddler. “You can cry out to Jesus, Mary, and all the angels, but no one is going to save you. You are still taking a nap.”

“Daddy, pwease. Daddy!!!” Lizzie tried again, but he didn’t budge; Kate would kill him. They disappeared into the house Lizzie squalling, screaming, and crying the whole time. After a few minutes, it got quiet and Seth breathed out a sigh of relief.

“The terrible twos are real.” He broke the uncomfortable silence.

“She’s just fine, just got too tired. You threw worse fits than that.” Eddie called Seth out, before pointing out to snickering Richie, “Don’t even get me started on you. You never slept, ever.”

Kate came back out with the baby monitor in her hand. “She barely made it through one song.” She sat down next to him and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for staying quiet.”

He smiled and draped his arm over her shoulders, “I like sleeping in my bed.”

“Good plan.” Kate was rubbing her hand up and down his thigh almost absent-mindedly. “Hey, we need to go into town, before Lizzie wakes up.”

“We do?” He arched his eyebrow in confusion. _What the hell could they possibly need?_

“I told Margaret we’d pick up sparklers for the kids tonight.” She confirmed. “You guys don’t mind keeping an ear on the monitor, do you?”

“You kids have fun. We got this.” Eddie shooed them.

“Thank you.” Kate handed him her keys, “We’ll take the SUV. I just need my purse. You good to drive?”

“Sure, I only took two drinks from that beer.” He started the SUV and Kate hopped in the passenger seat. “I thought we grabbed sparklers when we bought the rest of the fireworks last weekend.” He pulled out of the driveway.

“Well…” Kate started but trailed off, “Can you actually drive us to the park up the road? It’s closed and I actually made the excuse to get us out of there so we could talk alone.”

“Sure.” Seth drew in a long breath and turned right instead of left. _Talk? Oh, come on!_ He’d done everything right today, minus one inappropriate joke and couple of cuss words. He’d gotten up with Lizzie, let Kate sleep in, and he hadn’t said anything during the naptime meltdown. _How was he in trouble?!?_ He pulled into the parking lot of the little rustic park and turned off the car. He was about to ask what was going on, but Kate bailed out and opened the back hatch. _How much trouble was he in?_ _And for what???_

“Come on.” Kate beckoned.

He huffed as he got out and resigned himself to his fate as he sat in the back of the SUV. _Might as well get this over with…whatever he’d done._ He was going to ask what the hell was up, but Kate was pacing and that was concerning. He was racking his brain trying to figure out what he could have done. He hadn’t missed any of their important dates. He hadn’t been pulling any crazy hours at work. _What the hell was he in trouble for???_ He’d even willingly let her poke the shit out of him as she practiced her IV techniques. “So what did we need to talk about?”

Kate sauntered up to him and perched herself on his lap, drawing him into a long passionate kiss. “This. Me alone. With you.”

 _Oh? Oh. Hell yes!_ He ran his hands up her bare legs, to find she wasn’t wearing anything under that dress. “Did you lie us out of there for sex? Seriously?”

Kate giggled and kissed the side of his neck, “I did.” She untucked his t-shirt and he threw it off behind him.

“You aren’t wearing any underwear. Have you been parading around like that all day?” He growled and gripped her ass with both hands. “What have I done to you?”

“I slipped them off, when I went in and got my purse, which is where they are.” Kate rolled her hips, “Do you really want to talk? We’ve only got so much time.”

 _He really had turned her a little wild._ He captured her mouth again as she tugged at his belt buckle. This wasn’t going to be his best performance, leverage be damned and the hundred degree weather was not on his side. But then again, it was so rare that he got to have Kate all to himself and really hear her let go, he wasn’t gonna waste the opportunity. He let her ride him, breathing into her overheated skin until her climax drew him over the edge. They sat there panting and sharing soft kisses as they both came down from the physical high.

“You think about the clean-up for this little run?” He muttered into her hair.

Kate let out a breathless laugh, “There’s a towel in the bag with the sparklers I bought last night.”

“Look at you all prepared like a Boy Scout.” Seth brushed her hair back away from her face. “God, I fucking love you.”

“I love you too.” Her face lit up and she nuzzled at him again. “We should get back.”

“Alright.” He sighed and stretched back to grab the towel, letting Kate cleanup first, then himself before pulling his pants back up. He snatched his shirt, but instead of pulling it back on, he paused as Kate traced the heart-shaped tattoo on the underside of his arm, made up of Lizzie’s and her thumbprints. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m just really happy, that’s all.”

He got his shirt back on and he watched her shimmy back into her underwear, before getting back into the passenger seat. _He was really was a lucky SOB_. He turned the SUV around and started to drive them back the long way. “So Richie’s chick seems nice.”

“Anna. Her name is Anna. It’s four letters, Seth. It’s not that hard.”

“There’s a four-month rule. She sticks around longer than four months and I’ll remember her name.” He hit the dial on the radio.

“Lizzie remembered her name and likes her.” Kate pointed out, as she pulled out her phone. “And Richie really, really likes her. I mean you weren’t home when he came home from meeting her. He was dumbstruck.”

“I didn’t say anything about _not_ liking her. And like I said, _Anna_ , seems nice. It’ll be good for him to have someone in his life.”

“I think she might be shy.” Kate pointed out as they pulled back into the driveway.

Seth nodded, “I picked up on that too.” He noticed that Freddie’s Jeep and Scott’s truck were both in the driveway now, but Anna’s car was gone. _That was weird_.

Kate rushed out of the car hugging Jess and her brother as he made his way in the house. He washed his hands in the sink, then got a cold beer from the fridge as Richie walked down from the hallway. “You have Anna move her car out back?”

Richie shook his head, but didn’t say anything. He attempted to get out through the back door, but Seth stopped him.

“What the hell happened?” He questioned.

Richie shrugged, “She said she forgot about something, that she’d call me later tonight, and then she just left.” The comment was casual, but Richie was clearly unhappy and confused.

“What did you do?”

“Huh?”

“Well you must have done something.”

Richie glared at him as he huffed, “I didn’t do anything...I don’t think I did anything.”

Seth took a drink of his beer, “Well, she wouldn’t taken off for nothing. She must think you did something. Just buy her flowers and apologize, trust me.”

“Sage advice, but I have no idea what I’d be apologizing for.” Richie countered.

“It doesn’t matter if you know what you did or not. Buy the flowers and apologize, then if you’re lucky you’ll figure out whatever thing she _thinks_ you did.” He chuckled. “Either way that’s how you get out of the doghouse.”

“Is that how that works?” Kate brushed by him with making a face that clearly stated how unimpressed with his statement.

“How did I end up in trouble?” He threw his hands up in the air.

“General sexist remarks.” Richie joked, but it didn’t have his normal energy. He was really worked-up about this.

Kate pulled a bowl of fresh fruit out of the fridge, “Maybe she just got overwhelmed. We can be a lot. Did she leave after Jess showed up?”

Richie shook his head, “It wasn’t too long after you left. She didn’t seem angry, but she didn’t say much.”

Lizzie’s voice spiked through the monitor and Kate left the bowl on the counter to go get the toddler. "Be right back. Hold that thought."

Richie watched Kate walk down the hallway, then pulled his phone out of his pocket checking it.

It had been a long time since Seth had seen Richie this upset. He hugged his brother, “Hey buddy, I’m sure it’s nothing. She’ll call tonight and you’ll figure it out.” Seth reassured his brother.

Richie nodded.

“There you go, that's better.” Seth pressed their foreheads together. “But man, trust me about the flowers thing.”

.:.

**July 6, 2020**

Anna shifted on the hospital bed as her stomach cramped again and she ground her teeth together letting the pain pass. She let out a slow breath as an alert chimed from her IPad and she reached for it. She might not be able to leave the hospital yet, but she wasn’t going to get behind. There was too much to do with the financials this week and too many launches that needed to be finalized. She slipped on her glasses and skimmed the mundane email from her CEO. She clamped her eyes closed as another wave of pain hit, at least she survived the worst of it last night. _Why had ever thought she could get away with that? She was such an idiot._

Her doctor had been furious with her when she checked in last night, but she’d more than paid for her error in judgment. The IV bag was still dripping fluids into her system but the pain medication was wearing off and she couldn’t decide if she wanted any more. _No. She could handle the pain_. She needed a clear head to go over the rest of the proposals.

The door creaked open and she turned to tell the nurse that she didn’t need anything else when her heart stopped. Richard Gecko was standing in her room holding a bouquet of flowers and looking extremely worried.

She yelped and pulled the sheet over her face, “Oh my god! What are you doing here? Why are you here? How did you know I was here? Did you text me this morning? I thought I told you that I was going to call you this afternoon. Why are you here?” She didn’t want him here. She looked and smelled like Hospital and…and…her own idiocy put her in here. He was going think she was a complete mental case.

“That was quite a few questions. Should I start with the question you asked twice?” He asked quietly.

She groaned, “How did you know I was here?”

“Michelle told me you were here.” He explained.

Anna kept the sheet over her face, thinking about how cardiac arrest it would be preferable to this and that she was going to need to find a new assistant. _She was going to fire Michelle, after she killed her._

“I went to your office to apologize for whatever I did to upset you yesterday and Michelle told me you were here. I should have called first, but I was worried about you so I just drove up. I can leave if you want. I’m sure you don’t want me here.”

She heard him pivot on his foot and she pulled the sheet down so she could see him, “Richie, wait.” Thankfully he stopped and shifted back so he made eye contact with her. She took off her glasses and motioned for him to come closer. “Don’t leave. I’m not…I’m not mad at you, I…I promise.” _She was just mortified, utterly mortified._

He paced up to her bed and set the flowers down on the table in front of her. “Are you alright?”

Anna’s cheeks flushed red, “Yes. It’s…it’s just embarrassing.” She touched the soft petals of the roses and peered up at Richie. “I have a form of PK, which long story, short is a disorder where a person has trouble processing protein. With me, I have trouble processing some animal proteins, so I normally don’t eat meat. Red-meats are the worst, when I eat those I get violently ill, hence the hospital.”

“So you’re a vegetarian?” He cocked his head to the side, “Wait we went out for sushi; I know some of that had fish in it.”

Anna couldn’t even look at him, so she picked at her nails. “I haven’t kicked fish, even though it’s not great for me. I…I don’t really call myself a vegetarian. Vegetarians and Vegans make a choice to eat a certain way because of a personal conviction; I don’t eat meat because of a medical condition. Normally tell people that I don’t eat meat…” She’d gotten most of the polish off of her right index finger. “But I don’t go announcing it to the world. I mean I don’t really think about it for the most part, until it’s right in front of me. And then I…”

Richie took her busy hand in his and intertwined their fingers, “Why didn’t you say something?”

She looked at his hand covering hers and bit down on her lip before admitting barely above a whisper, “Your family is so important to you. And when your uncle put that plate in front of me I just was so worried about making a bad impression or seeming ungrateful; that I thought what was the harm in a few bites?” She drew in a shaky breath as her eyes filled with tears. She was such a moron. _God, what he must think of her._ “Obviously it was an error in judgment. And I made an even worse impression by just taking off like that and…and…and…I” A tear dripped off her face and hit the back of his hand, she reached out to brush it away, but Richie caught her chin and lifted her face.

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers stopping her in the middle of her breakdown.

Anna blinked and started to pull back to argue, “Wait, no, I taste like hospital…” He cut her off with another kiss, fingers tightening on her chin. He released her hand and cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss. She was lightheaded as he shifted back, his compassionate eyes locking with hers. “Richie…”

“You do not hurt yourself for me, ever.”

She opened her mouth to explain that she was just an idiot, but he cut her off again.

“Anna, I care about you. I thought I did something to upset you, and while I am glad that, that isn’t the case. I don’t want you to do anything to jeopardize your health on account of making an impression.” He leaned his forward against hers. “You are very special to me and my family will see that, honestly they already do.”

Anna touched his face and felt him relax into her touch, “Well, I think you’re pretty special yourself.”

.:.

**December 18, 2020**

“So she offers me watershed ham, because it’s thinner cut.” Anna finished her story, as Richie tucked her closer to his side; the temperature was just the other side of freezing and he wasn't a fan.

Seth scoffed, “That's a whole new level of stupid.” He pushed the hotel door closed as he and Kate followed them out of the hotel’s ballroom and onto the sidewalk. “But you really don’t miss bacon?”

“No. Not at all.” Anna shook her head. “The last time I had bacon it put me in the hospital and I’m not a fan.”

“Just because she doesn’t eat meat, doesn’t mean she survives on ice cubes and lettuce.” Kate tugged her coat on tighter as she wobbled on her feet.

“You doing alright there, Sis?” Richie teased.

Kate stuck out her tongue, “I’m good. I’m just a little buzzed, that wine was stronger then I’m used to.”

“Whatever you say, Lush.” Seth kissed the side of Kate’s head and pulled her to him. “But Anna, anytime you want to invite us to one of these shindigs where I get to drink from a ten-thousand dollar bottle of whiskey, it’s good with me. Where’d you’d guys park?”

“We didn’t.” Anna pointed up to her window that had a perfect view of the downtown hotel. “That’s my apartment.”

“You live up there.” Kate gasped, “How cool is that?”

“Did you want to come up for a minute? I can make coffee.” Anna was digging in her clutch for her keys as she made the offer.

Richie made eye-contact with his brother trying to convey without words that Anna had been gone for almost two weeks and that if Seth loved him in any way, shape, or form, that he would make himself scarce. Seth smirked and gave him a nod, before reminding Kate. “Come on, Princess, it’s past midnight and we gotta get back home before you turn into a pumpkin.”

They said their goodnights and Richie held the door for Anna as she slipped into her apartment building.

He was about to follow when he heard Kate's intoxicated giggle echo off the buildings. “Oh! That's why we're leaving so fast!”

“Everything okay?” Anna called out from the elevator.

“Yeah, just wanted to make sure they got to their car.” He answered joining her as he fought down a shiver. He’d never been a fan of winter; the cold made him sluggish, out of sorts. “Glad to be out of the cold.”

“No whining allowed, Mister, the weather’s so much nicer here. It was negative ten when I left Chicago, without the wind-chill.” She unlocked the door and took a deep breath in visibly relaxing as she entered her own space. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you for watching Jackal for me.”

As if on cue the little black cat appeared from inside the apartment, yowling for attention. She sidestepped him completely and wound herself around Anna’s calf’s purring loudly.

“Oh, I see how it is. We were friends while mom was gone.” Richie reminded the cat.

Anna scratched Jackal behind the ears, before letting him slip off her coat. She was still in her heels as she stepped into the kitchen and put a treat in Jackal’s bowl.

Richie watched her meander down the hallway, before hanging up their coats and toeing off his shoes. He paused for a moment in the doorway watching Anna in her bedroom. The skylight that let in plenty of light so she hadn’t bothered to turn on the room’s actual light. She removed her necklace and earrings and put them in the bowl on her dresser. She was breathtaking in the moonlight bathed room. The black dress was modest, but it hugged her curves in all the right places. _Sue him; he thought his girlfriend looked like a goddess_.

She tugged off her second heel, but wobbled on her feet so he came up behind her to steady her. “Thank you. Could you undo me?”

“In what capacity?” He lingered his lips over the junction of where her neck met her shoulder as he tugged zipper down slowly. “You’ve been gone almost two weeks. I’ve missed you.” He slipped his hand beneath the fabric, splaying his palm over the small of her back before tracing a path to her stomach and pulling her flush to him. Gooseflesh raced over her skin and the scent of her citrus shampoo filled his nostrils.

She leaned into the touch, but it was languid; lazy. “Hmm… It’s just so exhausting to be around that many people.”

He paused. _Was that a hint?_ “Did you want me to leave and come back in the morning?”

“Richie.” She pushed herself up and kissed his cheek at the slightly awkward angle. “You are not people. You are my person and I have missed you too. In fact, I’m over the moon I have you all to myself this weekend. If it wasn’t for those files sitting on my kitchen table, I’d suggest that we take a shower together.”

He had a burning desire to kick himself, because he was the one that suggested that they look into Anna’s past to try and find out about her birth parents. Freddie had been a big help with that research, apparently, both of Anna’s parents were in the system. But whatever the Ranger had found out, it must not have been good, because he told Richie that and that he should go over the information with Anna as soon as possible. “I’ll let you change.” He relented.

“You can stay.” She offered as she slipped off one of the straps of her dress.

“Not if we want to get to those files tonight, I can’t.”

Even in the low light, Anna’s blush was visible and she grabbed a change of clothes before ducking into her bathroom. Richie changed out of the suit and tie he’d worn to the event tonight and into the more comfortable clothes that he’d brought with him. He walked back to the kitchen and started a kettle of hot water. Anna was trying to drink tea at the end of the day.

Her apartment had changed a bit in the last few months; it looked more lived in, more like a home. He often had breakfast with Anna after he got out of work and it was routine that he enjoyed. Anna wasn’t picky about her coffee so his favorite brand was in the cupboard along with a cup that was wordlessly his. He was learning to appreciate a meatless breakfast, but he wasn’t giving up steaks – not that Anna expected him too. The refrigerator was decorated with photos and a birthday card that Lizzie had colored for Anna. His favorite photo was there too, a candid that Kate had snapped of himself and Anna. There wasn’t anything particularly special or unique about the picture, but it always made him smile…

“You didn’t need to do that.” Her voice drew his attention to his right. She was wearing those god-awful colored yoga pants and one of his old Misfits t-shirts and with her hair down and make-up cleaned off she looked like...his. It was his favorite look on her, but he really was going to ‘lose’ those pants for her one of these days.

“I don’t mind.” He opened his arms to her and she snuggled up to him. “I didn’t get to see you before the event. You looked incredible tonight, but I love you like this.”

“All plain jane?” She smirked up at him.

“Mine.” He captured her in a kiss, but was careful to keep his hands to himself, self-control was important. “I love seeing you in my shirt.”

“You’re adorable.” Anna moved away and got out a pair of mugs with some lavender and chamomile, “I’m going for calming. Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

She prepped the mix and he poured the water into the cups and they sat at the table. She tucked her hair behind her ears, before pushing the manila envelope closer to him.

“Are you alright?” He questioned. She seemed more anxious than interested.

She repeated the motion of tucking her hair behind her ears, “It would be hard to explain.”

“I’m listening. If you want to try.” He caught her hand in his.

She curled her fingers over his; it was the motion she used with him to settle his mind. “You told me once that you struggled to find your own identity. That you always felt like you were someone’s son, someone’s nephew, or someone’s brother and that being just you was new. And as much as I can empathize with that, it’s not something that I completely understand.”

She swallowed and continued, “I was always just Anna. Even when Emily was raising me; I never felt like her daughter. I think she liked the idea of being a parent more than the practice of it. I was only a freshman in college when she died, and that was the last time I had any semblance of a family. I have friends and relationships, but I’ve never really felt at home with anyone. So, I’m a little nervous about what’s in those files. Am I still going to feel like me after I learn the truth? What if I have siblings? There could be a lot of ramifications to learning those things.”

He tightened his grip on her hand. “We don’t have to do this right now.” Guilt gnawed at him, he had started them down this path. He couldn’t resist a mystery and it had seemed harmless to look up her birth parents, but now he regretted it. He didn’t want to upset Anna. He cared about Anna, in fact, he felt like…like she was the person that he was supposed to find. He felt a sense of belonging with Anna that he’d never experienced before and he didn’t want to jeopardize that.

“No, your friend said we needed to look right away, so let’s do this.” She slipped her hands away from his and took a sip of her tea as he pulled the folders from the envelope.

The files were copies, so unlike the criminal files he’d seen in the past, there were no names typed on the front. No way to know anything without opening them. One of the files was significantly thicker than the other. Freddie had gone over and above to help them out, he’d need to thank the Ranger later. “Thicker or thinner file first?”

Anna picked at her nail, “Thicker. Let’s figure out which one of my parents was more criminally involved.”

He flipped the first file open and analyzed the mugshot of a woman that looked vaguely familiar. The picture was a copy so it was black and white, but she was clearly blonde and Anna had absolutely inherited her mother’s nose. “Well, your mother’s real name was Abigail Harrington and you,” he held up the picture to her, “look a bit like her.”

“Stop.” She snatched the copy from him and wrinkled her nose, “She looks so unhappy.”

“Most people are unhappy when they get arrested. I speak from experience.” He read through the charges. _This was not going to be a fun conversation._

“What was she arrested for?”

“Solicitation; here in Houston.” He answered simply; maybe it was best to rip the bandage off?

Anna examined the picture for another moment before groaning and dropping her head to the table. “Ugh.”

“It’s not really the worst thing in the world…”

“No, it’s not that.” She raised her head, “I’m just thinking about how often since I moved here to Houston that older men have told me that there’s something familiar about my face.”

He swallowed down his chuckle because it wasn’t funny, but it was.

“Oh my god!” She covered her mouth with her hands, “Eddie has told me that before.”

Now he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Richie, it’s not funny. What if he was a client?!? I can’t know that!” She fussed.

“He knew a lot of people back in his day. I’m sure it’s nothing like that.” He reassured. “Here, I’ll see who she got picked up with and that’ll tell me if she ran in the same circles that he did.” He read through the names, but he didn't recognize any of them until the last one, which was on the following page. “The last time she got picked up was outside of the Rusty Nail bar in December of 1987 with…” He trailed off disbelieving the name he saw on the page.

“Richie?” Anna questioned his pause and the shock must have been clear on his face, because her voice went up an octave when she prodded him to answer. “Richie, who did she get picked up with?”

“Um… it was with Raymond Gecko…”

“Your father?” She cocked her head to the side.

“Yeah.” A car alarm went off on the street below and Jackal wandered through the kitchen her nails clicking across the tiles.

“Wait, December of what year?”

He was slightly distracted as he answered. Ray would have already been with his mother at this point. It would have been before Seth was born. “’87.”

“Oh god.” She spoke the words and there was an instant oppressive sense of dread that settled over the room. This was beyond ‘something might be wrong,’ this feeling was paralyzing like the world was going to shift on its axis. Whatever thought had come to Anna…“Richie, I’m older than you.”

He knew that. They had celebrated her birthday in September and she was a couple of months older than he was, but it wasn’t a big deal. He was missing something… _her birthday was in September and Gail had been picked up with his father the previous December, which meant that potentially…NO!_

It wasn’t that he had done the math so fast, but one look at Anna and he could see that she had. His eyes darted to that thinner file, that file with no name on the outside of it; that file that could be his fa… _NO!_

This was why Freddie had told him to go over the files with Anna right away. They were related; fucking half-siblings! _No. No. FUCKING NO!_ It was the soul-crushing supposition that this thing that he had with Anna, wasn’t…it couldn’t be.

Up until this moment, Richie had never been happier in his entire life. He’d never met someone that understood him the way Anna had and it was all about to be ripped away. The woman he loved unattainable, because Ray Gecko couldn’t keep it in his goddamn pants. The childish manta of: ‘ _it’s not fair!’_ was playing on repeat in his head.

He thought Anna was that person for him…thought she was his. He dared to look up at her and there tears brimming in her eyes. “Hey, maybe before we go all ‘Flowers in the Attic,’ we open this other file.”

“How are you so calm?!?” It came out as a near shriek; her voice cracking on the last word. Her whole body was shaking and a single tear rolled down her cheek. He reached out to wipe it away, but she shrank back, eyes betraying that she didn’t want to reject him, but she wasn’t sure what to do.

“I’m not. There’s basically a high-pitched screech at 100 decibels going off in my head right now, but that’s not helpful.” He reassured her as best he could. “It’s probably just a coincidence.”

Despite his brave words, he could hear doors slamming closed in his brain. This life that he thought was in his grasp: gone. This was karma. Ray Fucking Gecko taking revenge from the grave. It was too cruel though, even for Ray; this was too cruel. He had imagined for a moment that he was going to get a happy ending. That maybe, just maybe, he was going to be allowed leave his past behind him and move forward; but who was he kidding? There were some crimes that once committed there was no chance for absolution.

He stared at her for a long moment as he shifted the thinner file atop the other. He was frozen unable to bring himself to simply open the second file. He wanted to see her for one more moment as she was to him, right now…just in case. Anna; his Anna. Anna, who adored his niece and watched Miyazaki films with her. Anna, who talked whiskey with his brother and was becoming friends with Kate. Anna, who loved Eddie’s old music and made him howl with laughter when she grilled eggplant with his barbeque sauce. Sweet, introverted Anna, who worked a little too much, listening to rap music and chewing on pens when she got stuck editing a piece. His Anna who always knew what say when he…he didn’t want to lose her…he just…

“Just open it.” Anna wiped the tears from her cheeks, as she tried to put on a brave face.

He nodded at her, but that fleeting thought ran through his mind again: _It’s. Just. Not. Fair._ Best to rip off the bandage, right? He flipped open the file and… “Holy Shit!”

Anna threw herself away from the table, her chair clattering against the floor as Jackal scrambled out of the kitchen to hide somewhere. He immediately jumped up to grab her, because he hadn’t meant to exclaim that and she had the wrong idea. She was nearly hysterical, repeating ‘no’ over and over, between sobs.

He reached her, but she attempted to retreat. “Anna. Anna, stop. Look at me, Anna. I need you to calm down.” He wanted to say something more; give her better words, but he didn’t have any at present. The terrible thing that they thought was happening, wasn’t. Instead, this was the best, albeit the most unbelievable, thing that could have happened.

She was heaving for air as he grabbed her face, tears still trailing down her cheeks. “What? What? W…”

“It’s not Ray.” He spoke plainly and hopefully with some measure of calm, although with all of the adrenalin that had just spiked through his system, he was shaking a bit himself.

“Then why? Why did you say that? You scared the hell out of me!”

“Come here.” He led her back to the table, opting to show her, worried his words might fail him. He turned the file to her and pointed to the grainy copy of a mugshot that wasn’t Raymond Anthony Gecko, but it was Edward Lawrence Crookshank. “You’re Eddie’s daughter. I don’t think he knows about you. In fact, I’m positive that he doesn’t. He would have…”

“Why didn’t your friend just tell you that? It would have saved us both a heart attack.” Anna leaned against his chest as she wrapped her arm around his waist.

It did seem very odd that Freddie hadn’t just told him that Anna was…. He shook his head as he realized why Freddie wouldn’t have told him what he discovered. “I don’t think we’ve ever clarified to Freddie that Eddie isn’t our biological uncle.”

“Well, I suppose that makes sense...And you both have blue eyes.” Anna peered up at him and allowed him to wipe the remaining tears from her face.

“My eyes look nothing like Eddie’s, but yours on the other hand? Now that I know you’re his daughter, I can’t believe I didn’t see the similarity.”

“It's such an unbelievable thing. I would never have even looked into who my parents were if you haven’t encouraged me to. And we never would have met if…”

He was listening to her talk, explain the improbability of who they were and how they met. Of how none of it would have happened if it hadn’t been for Lizzie and the true impossibility of how she came into the world and the love story that happened because of it. And he loved listening to Anna talk. He loved how her mind worked. He loved how excited she would get when she didn’t know what to do with herself. And he loved Anna.

Before he could over think it and much like the moment at his car when he asked her to dinner the day they met, his mouth got ahead of him. “I love you, Anna.”

She stopped mid-sentence; mid-word. Her eyes met his as her face broke out into a jubilant smile. “I love you too, Richie.”

Everything stopped in that moment. He held her as close as he could, because he could. There was nothing but the two of them. He pressed his forehead against hers and it was so cheesy, so ridiculous, but the only thing he could think to say could have come straight out of his book. “The odds of us meeting…It’s like we were meant to…This was ordained; fate. Everything that happened in my life has led me to you. You are my love-story. I am your home.”

“You are so special. I’m so blessed that your mine.” She pushed herself up on tiptoe and kissed him softly. They stood there in her kitchen and he knew that Anna truly was his love-story; his forever.

He knew that this discovery was going to have further ramifications; the first and most important would be telling Eddie. _Wait, was Eddie going to get pissed at him for dating his daughter??_

_.:._

**December 31, 2020**

“You got the fort for a minute?” Seth questioned as he, Kate, Richie were leaving to go pick up a few things at Richie’s insistence.

“I think Anna and I can handle the last bit of prep work and listen to the baby monitor.” Eddie shook his head and went back to chopping peppers.

Kate was slipping on her coat, “We shouldn’t be too long. Are you sure you don’t want to tag along, Anna?”

The blonde looked up from the fruit she was cutting up at the opposite side of the counter from Eddie, “No…No…I mean I’m good here. I just want to get all of this done before we have more company and/or have toddler help.” Her voice wavered a bit and Richie stepped back over to her, whispering something he didn't catch and kissing the top of her head before he left.

Eddie hadn’t spent a lot of one on one time with Anna like he had with Kate, but the circumstances were a bit different there. He’d noticed that Anna was genuinely shy, but she was gradually coming out of her shell. Apparently, when she was working she was a completely different person. Seth had mentioned that at the Christmas event that Anna had invited them to, she had been charismatic and clearly in charge, but the second she had the option, she tucked herself back under Richie’s arm. That was the other thing he’d observed about the girl, she had a calming effect on his nephew. That brain of Richie's would send him into a spiral in a quick minute, but all it took was Anna curling her fingers over his and he seemed to instantly settle down. That was a miracle in and of itself.

Anna arranged the fruit plate more than once before deciding that she was happy with it and covered it with saran wrap. She put it in the fridge and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Did you want me to cut the cheese up and set it out with the crackers?”

“Kate finished that up this morning while she was making the chili.” Eddie finished up the last of the vegetables and handed her the plate, “You can put that in the fridge though.”

“Sure. She really didn’t need to make a vegetarian version for me.”

“Well, we didn’t want a repeat of the 4th.” Eddie took a sip from his coffee cup and noticed that Anna’s cheeks had flushed bright red. “It wasn’t any trouble for her, I promise. It didn’t even turn out half bad.” He motioned to the smaller slow-cooker.

Anna toyed with her necklace that Richie had given at her Christmas. The diamond and sapphire stones caught the light in their platinum setting. _God that boy was head over heels for this girl._  Anna was a good fit with their family, but there was something oddly familiar about her. Every once and a while, she would laugh or quirk her nose a certain way and he would get the feeling of déjà vu. He couldn’t really place it though.

Anna tucked her hair behind her ears, “So Richie and I looked into my birth parents.”

“He mentioned he was helping you with that. Find out anything interesting?” He wasn’t sure why she was bringing it up so abruptly or why she appeared so nervous about it.

“You…you knew my birth mother.” She bit the inside of her cheek then continued, “I thought her name was Olivia Kane, but it was Abigail Harrington.”

“Gail?” Eddie hadn’t heard Gail’s name in thirty plus years. When she’d left him, she’d packed up and left Houston and no one knew where she’d gone. “Yeah, I knew Gail for a spell.” It dawned on him why this was so awkward for Anna, if they’d gotten the information via the Ranger, then it was probably all related to what Gail did, rather than who she was. “I dated her for a spell. I wasn’t a client; if that was your worry. I even have a few appropriate stories about her. She had a life outside out of all that.” He winked at the girl, trying to get her to calm down, but didn't seem to work. “So you found out about her through the Ranger?”

“Yes, he ran my DNA and both of my parents were in the system. Freddie gave us their files which had a list of their associates.” She was fidgeting with her fingers, her nervousness almost tangible.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Did…did you know that in order for a child to be born colorblind that both parents have to at least carry the gene for colorblindness?”

Anna spat out factoid out in a rush and the change in topic came out of nowhere. Maybe she was around his nephew a little too much? He was genuinely confused as to where she was going with this.

She tucked a nonexistent lock of hair behind her ear and continued, “Richie told me that you’re a little colorblind.”

“Yeah, I have trouble with blues and blacks, not anything serious.”

“I have Tritanopia, like Gail did, so I have trouble distinguishing blues and greens, and well colors in general. It’s extremely rare for a woman to have Tritanopia. Actually, it’s rare for a woman to be colorblind at all. In fact, in most cases when a woman is born colorblind both of her parents were colorblind to at least some degree…”

It hit him like a ton of bricks, where she was going with this. “Are you my daughter?” Her nod was so slight that he nearly missed it. “Are you sure?”

Another nod, “Your DNA is in the system from an assault charge you got back in April of 1990.”

 _That bar fight…He remembered that bar fight, the one he got into after dropping off Jane and boys._ It had not been his finest moment. He felt like he needed to explain, needed to justify why he hadn’t been there for her. “I didn’t know.” He stared at the blonde in front of him, because now he could see it. He could see Gail’s nose and his eyes…Janey’s final words to him: _Maybe we’ll add one more; pretty little girl with your curious eyes?_

They were both silent in the kitchen, neither knowing what to say. “I truly didn’t know.” He repeated.

“I know you didn’t know.” Anna reached out and grabbed his hand. “I know you would have been in my life if you had known about me. Gail got picked up in December of 1987 with Ray Gecko…and I think…I think that she wasn't sure who my father was, so she left. But this doesn’t have to mean anything if you don’t want it to. I'm telling you, because you should know. I’m not expecting anything from you. And I am so, so sorry that she never told you about me.”

He pulled her into a hug before she could ramble anymore. “It isn’t your fault either. I…I just don’t know where to go with this. Jesus Christ, I am so sorry. God, I would have taken care of you.”

“I know.” He felt Anna start to shake, but she pulled back as she tried to comfort him. “I grew up so well. I was taken care of and I got an amazing education. I never wanted for anything, except a place to belong and now I have that too.”

“Damn straight you do.” He wiped the tears away from her face. “When did you find out?”

“Just before Christmas. I’ve been trying to think of a way to tell you. It just seemed so impossible.” Anna turned her head as her phone chirped out. “That’s probably Richie.”

“He got them scarce on purpose.” Eddie surmised.

Anna retrieved her phone as she confirmed. “I thought we should be alone. I didn’t know how you’d feel about the whole thing.”

“Think we can file this in the overwhelmed category. Richie telling Seth and Kate?”

“If you’re alright with it.”

“Yeah, family is family; no secrets here.” Eddie let out a heavy breath. “You want a drink?”

“So much.” Anna typed the text into her phone as Eddie retrieved them both a whiskey on the rocks. “Thank you.”

“I don’t even know your middle name.”

“Lauren; Anna Lauren Kane. I think, she really wanted me to be yours.” Anna sipped from her glass. “We read Gail’s file first...Richie and I had a few panicked minutes thinking that I might be Ray’s.”

“I can’t even imagine.” He grabbed her hand. “I want to hear everything about how you grew up. I want to get to know you, but don’t feel like you have to…have to think of me like…”

She returned his grip, “I’d like that. We’ll figure this out. I hear that’s what family is all about.”

He cleared his throat and wiped the tears away from his eyes. “So Chicago?”

“Yup and I taught English in South Korea for a year after college, before I got involved with the publishing company.”

“That’s impressive.” He smiled as she continued to talk about some of her accomplishments. Begrudgingly he admitted to himself that if he had been the one to raise her, then she likely wouldn’t have had the life that she’d had…and the boys…well, maybe it was for the best things happened the way they had.

Lizzie’s voice came through the baby monitor and Eddie excused himself to go get his granddaughter. He walked into her nursery and Lizzie was sitting up in bed hugging the little dog that she took almost everywhere as she rubbed her eyes. She reached for him and he lifted her up, ignoring the twitch in his sciatica. She nuzzled against his chest, yawning loudly.

“You still tired, Lil Bean?” He rubbed her back.

She shook her head and murmured. “No, no. Not sweepy.”

“Of course you’re not.” He chuckled. He sat with her in the rocking chair, letting her wake up a little more. He heard the front door open and all the commotion from the rest of the family getting back. He sat with Lizzie rocking her, content for a minute.

“Gampa Eddie, we go see?” Lizzie was listening to all of the noise in the other room, with her door open the sound traveled pretty easily.

He cleared his throat to get past the lump that had formed there. “Yeah, I suppose we should we go see, huh?”

“Oh yeah.”

He stood up with Lizzie and Kate was standing in the doorway, tears in her eyes. “Are you okay?” She asked as Lizzie squealed for her and she took her daughter from him.

“Still in shock, Angel.”

“Understandable.” Kate hugged him with her free arm. “It’s really….I mean the odds of…just wow.”

“Wow. Wow. Wow.”

“You can say that again.” Eddie tweaked Lizzie’s nose and kissed the top of Kate’s head. “Come on, I imagine they’re waiting for me out there.”

Everyone was talking and there were more tears. After a few minutes things calmed down and they finished getting ready for the party as they all processed this new revelation.

Eddie stepped out onto the patio, the cold biting through his jacket. He was alone for a few minutes before the boys came out, bottle of whiskey and glasses in hand. The drink was silent, but they glanced back into the house as Lizzie laughed loudly from her place on Anna’s hip.

“Un-Fucking-believable.” Seth broke the silence.

“You can say that again.” Eddie sighed.

Richie was staring at Anna through the back door, the light reflecting off his glasses.

“You okay?” Seth questioned.

He nodded, “I’m going to take her to Chicago for New Year’s next year.”

“You’ll freeze to death.” Seth snickered.

Richie didn’t seem to register what his brother had said. “I’m going to take her to Chicago next year and propose.”

“Are you asking my permission?” Eddie arched his eyebrow.

Richie tore his gaze away from Anna and focused on his uncle, “If you’d like me to then, yes.”

Eddie chuckled, “Fine by me, but Seth here better actually be able to pull off Kate’s proposal come May or there’s likely to be a riot.”

“It’s gonna happen.” Seth groused.

“Just like her birthday after Lizzie was born?” Richie teased.

“Or her first mother’s day?” Eddie continued. “Or the second anniversary of when you two met?”

 “Or that weekend trip you took when I met Anna?”

“Knock it off, you idiots.” Seth folded his arms over his chest and glanced back at Kate in the house before confirming. “I’m proposing in May, after her graduation, with Lizzie helping.”

“What a year this gonna be.” Eddie smiled and tipped his glass to the sky.

.:.

Epilogue coming soon-ish...provided the writer doesn't lose her mind 


	2. Deleted Scene 1 - Vanessa and Sonja Pre-story: About getting that sample...

***Vanessa and Sonja discuss getting the ‘sample’ from Sonja’s clinic***

 

“I haven’t seen you since you slugged me in Vegas. What the hell do you want?” Sonja was not in the mood to deal with Vanessa Styles or her flavor of crazy tonight. “Why did you call?”

“You were sleeping with Seth, I had all rights to punch you.” Vanessa picked at her nails.

“You're insane.” Sonja rolled her eyes, “I only slept with Seth after he got out of prison and you two were divorced. That trip in Vegas…”

“You were all over him.”

“Oh my god, it was part of the play we were running that night. If you hadn’t been screeching at Richie, he could have counted cards at that blackjack table all night and we woulda made out like bandits. All you had to do was flirt with the dealer, but you couldn’t keep out of Richie’s face, so you got thrown out. That was on you.”

Vanessa huffed, “I wasn’t going to pretend that, that mental case was anything special. Seth babies him enough for the whole damn world.”

Sonja took a drink of her beer, “You two back together again?”

“Yeah, it took some time to undo all the damage that Richie did lying about how that job went down. But Seth always believes me eventually. Always comes back.”

_Oh, this bitch._ Sonja really needed to stop answering unknown numbers, it never ended well for her. “Good for you. What do you want?”

“I need your help. When Seth got out of prison he got a vasectomy…” Vanessa put her hands on the table.

“No.” Sonja knew what this favor was now and hell no. “You just have to go through the process. It’s not hard, Seth’s just got to call the clinic and make the arrangements.”

Vanessa scoffed, “We don’t have that kind of money laying around. Just have it sent to my clinic. Typo-error; no one will ever believe you did anything on purpose.”

Sonja threw a ten on the table to pay for her beer. “No one is going to believe that I had anything to do with it, because I’m not having anything to with it. End of story. I could lose my license, everything if I do this.” She started to stomp away from the table. “You two can’t stay together longer than a desperate fuck in a bathroom. You are the last two idiots on the planet that should have a kid.”

Vanessa grabbed her hand, tears misting her blue eyes, “Eddie’s sick; terminal. The doctor gave him a year. I don’t know if this is the greatest idea, but I…Seth and I want to give him something to live for, just to try, maybe a miracle will happen. Please, Sonja.”

God, it just had to be Eddie…That would get Seth to consider kids; the Geckos were loyal to their uncle. Sonja bit the inside of her cheek, “I’ll send it via courier. Do not do anything until I show up to help you after hours.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, we aren’t doing anything until I talk to Seth.”

“I understand completely. I’ll email you, make it look official.”

.;.

**I basically cut this scene because one it wasn't necessary and two I wanted to keep it in Seth's and Kate's voice as much as possible.  But I thought it was interesting.**


	3. Deleted Scene 2 - Seth and Jacob discuss Kate and Seth's Relationship *CONTEST WINNER*

***Seth and Jacob discuss his relationship with Kate***

 

**Set between the Babymoon and the fight…**

 

“I’ll be real quick. I just have to run to the bathroom. Daddy’s always late, don’t worry.” Kate kissed his cheek and just like that she was gone. He paced over the bar and ordered a shot of whiskey, he just needed to take the edge off – he was not, NOT the guy you brought home to meet the folks and yet, here he was.

“Single or a double, sir?” The kid behind the bar asked and Seth’s eye twitched before he opened his mouth to answer.

“Think a water would be better considering who’s going to be in your car.”

Seth let out a long breath; _oh of fucking course._ He tried to plaster a smile on his face as he turned and offered his hand to the Jacob. “Pastor Fuller, nice to see you again, Sir.”

Jacob shook his hand, but his eyebrow was arched, “You ever do any acting?”

“Huh?” Seth was completely perplexed at the question.

“Acting, you know, like in the theater. I was Joseph once, you know from the Bible, earthly father of Jesus Christ.” Jacob explained slowly.

“Not sure I follow.”

Jacob shook his head, “What I’m saying son, is that as a sixteen-year-old teenager playing a thirty-year-old carpenter, I would have won a Tony, compared to that fake smile and ‘sir’ you just flashed at me.”

_Just hit him over the head with a wrench and get it over with…_ Seth cleared his throat when Kate reappeared to his left and he almost braved kissing her in front of her father out of sheer gratefulness for her presence.

“Hi, Daddy.”

“Hi. Katie.” Jacob pulled her in for a long hug. “How’s my little girl?”

“Not so little.” Kate rubbed her hands over her belly.

“Nonsense, you look beautiful. Let’s go grab a table.” Jacob smiled and offered his arm to Kate, who took it with a laugh. “I’ve missed you. Hard with you being gone for the summer.”

“I know.” Kate looked up at Seth as he pulled out a chair for her. “Thank you, Seth.” She touched his arm as she sat down and finished addressing her father, “But with my OB and classes in Houston it doesn’t make sense to be anywhere else.”

“I know, I trust to you to make the right decisions for your life.” Jacob chatted up the waitress when she came over, ordering a round of waters for the table. Kate and Jacob talked about a bunch of people that Seth didn’t know and even though he ordered dinner, he wasn’t sure he had much of an appetite and he really, _really_ wanted that drink.

“So why the visit out of the blue? Not that I’m not glad to see you both, but I was surprised at the invitation.”

_Really, really, really wanted that drink._ Seth tensed up, but felt Kate grip his hand under the table. She offered him a happy smile and he unconsciously relaxed a bit.

“Well as you know, how this baby came about is a little non-traditional.” Kate began. “But…”

Seth cleared his throat, “I’m, I mean, _we’re_ going to be raising this baby together. At least that’s the plan, I mean, that’s what we’re gonna be doing; raising the kid together.”

Jacob was quiet for a long moment, before nodding, “Well that’s good. Any child should know both of their parents.”

“No, Daddy, what Seth’s saying is…” Kate started.

“I know what he meant. It’s a good thing. You two seem to be getting along well.”

_Pastors don’t do curses or anything do they? Or hire out hitmen do they?_ Seth shifted in his seat. “Kate’s a special girl.”

Jacob’s eyebrow arched again. “She is.”

“She’s sitting right here.” Kate laughed. “But I need to use the restroom, excuse me for a minute.”

Seth cringed as Kate walked away, preparing for the ‘hands off my daughter’ or ‘make yourself distant’ speech. He knew that he wasn’t what the Padre wanted for his little girl, hell if Kate was carrying a girl he wouldn’t approve of himself. He realized that despite how he felt about Kate that there was no way that Jacob…

“I think you’re good for her.”

_HUH?_ Seth felt the disbelief crash over him. He must have heard Jacob wrong or the pastor misspoke. “I know she’s good for me. She’s…”

“That’s not what I said, Son, or meant for that matter.” The two locked eyes for a long moment, before Jacob asked, “You didn’t have a much a family growing up did you?”

“More than some, less than others.” Seth answered reflexively; before sighing, knowing Jacob deserved more honesty than that. “My mother left early, and my father wasn’t a good, he passed when I was young. My uncle raised me and my brother after that, but the damage was done. Already all…” He would have finished the ‘ _I’m fucked up’_ bit, but Jacob held up his hand.

“Nothing’s wrong with you, Seth. Figure you’re just looking for somewhere to belong.” Jacob took a drink of his water.  “Kate’s a naturally nurturing person; it’s why she’s going to be a wonderful nurse and a caring mother. She feels more grounded when she has someone to care for, especially when that someone cares back and I can see you do.”

Seth offered his hand, “I do and I will take care of her.”

“You do that.” Jacob gripped his hand and they nodded at each.

“You aren’t trying to arm wrestle him are you?” Kate snickered as she came back to the table and Seth helped her sit again. “He won one contest at a church social and thinks he’s a tough guy.”

“Naw, just getting a few things straight.” Jacob waved his hand nonchalantly.

“Oh good.” Kate beamed before tapping the dessert flyer, “We have to get pie and ice cream; it’s so amazing, all homemade.”

“Whatever you want, Princess.” Seth kissed the side of Kate’s head and inclined his head at Jacob, who nodded.

 

***So this was my contest winner's scene. I love how it turned it. I know it's short, but it was fluffy and feels - plus I really enjoyed writing Jacob as a supportive father. I really hope you enjoy it, Lovely!!!***


	4. Deleted Scene 3a-d: Scenes around the proposal

***A couple of scenes from around the proposal at the Twister*  
**

**3a. Richie comes to get Kate and Jess**

“Hey boss. Richard!” The bartender called over the din. “You got a phone call.”

Richie spun his heel, eyebrow arched, “From who?”

“The bartender from the Dark Side on Moon St, he says he’s got some crying chick there and she knows you.” He handed Richie the phone.

“This is Richard Gecko. Who is…”

“Richie?”

“Kate? Are you alright? I thought you were going out with your friend.”

The girl on the other side of the phone sniffled, “I lost my purse and Jess is super drunk, I don’t have my phone and Seth’s not answering, I…I um…”

“I’ll be there to get you in ten minutes.”

“Thank you.”

Richie handed the phone back and started for the door.

“Where are you going?” Kisa folded her arms over her chest. “I’ve been here since, noon. I want to go home.”

He was not in the mood for her ice-queen attitude, not now. “Then let Daniel run the floor. I’ll be back in a few hours.” He noted her sour expression, “My family comes first.”

“Just go.” Kisa waved him away. “I’ll call you later.”

It didn’t take him long to get the Dark Side and he got into the club and strode up to the bar, where Kate was sitting with her friend. Jess gasped when she saw him and threw her arms around his neck.

“You’re tall like a tree.” Jess giggled.

“Just a bit. Maybe, we could just get your feet on the ground.” The blonde reeked of booze. He tried to pry her off, but she held fast.

“No…I’m cold.” Jess complained.

“I’m so sorry, Richie.” Kate rubbed Jess’ back. “Come here, Jess.”

“Okay.” Jess clung onto Kate.

He led them out of the club, “Let’s get you both home. Do you know where you lost your bags at?”

“Not sure.” Kate made a face.

“I’ll call Manola. I’m sure you won’t be too hard to backtrack.” Richie pulled out his phone.

.:.

**  
3b: Manola ad Seth pre-proposal**

“Kate was worried about you.” Manola was squirming in her black cocktail dress as they finished setting up the bar.

Seth snorted, not in the mood for another fucking lecture. “Why don’t you go practice your happily-ever-after speech? I can handle this.”

“I know you can.” The former fighter put her hands on her hips, “Is everything okay with you and Kate?”

“It’s fine; everyone just needs to keep their fucking noses out of it.” He wiped down the counter down. “What do you care anyway?”

“I just know how she feels. You and Kisa are the same way; you both think the shit from your past has to be this big secret that you hide or it’ll ruin everything. The only thing that’s gonna ruin it, is the secrets. Kate can take it. Just don’t lose her, you’re enough for her.” Manola walked around the bar, but glanced back at him, “Don’t be afraid to have a good thing.”

Richie walked around the corner, “I think we’re good to go. She should be here in ten.”

“Which means she’ll be here in fifteen.” Manola concluded.

“She does have a flair for dramatic timing.” He chuckled, before looking at Seth, “You need any help?”

“Nope. I want to be left the fuck alone.”

“Suit yourself, Brother.” Richie rolled his eyes.

.:.

  
**3c: Manola’s Proposal**

Someone was playing the piano the chords of the song starting, softly as if the microphone hadn’t been turned on yet.

Kisa looked around the room for a moment before calling out, “Manola? Are you in here?”

“Yeah.” Manola came out around from the side of the stage, which the rest of them were hiding behind.

Kisa had to her back to Manola, “It looks nice in here. I can’t believe you got all the decorations done already. Who’s playing the…” Kisa turned around and blinked at sight of her girlfriend. “You look beautiful.”

“So do you.” Manola extended her hand to Kisa and tugged her close. Kate starting singing through the emotional lyrics, but there was a translucent curtain between her and the two women on the main floor, so it felt like they were alone.

“What’s going on?” Kisa inclined her head to the side, than gasped as Manola pulled the chain out of her dress and held up the black diamond ring hanging from it. “Nola?”

“I planned this whole thing and forgot that I don’t have pockets in this stupid dress.” She bit down on her lower lip, before letting out a nervous laugh. “I can’t even remember what I was gonna say now. But this is where we met and it was love at first sight, so I figured this was the best place to ask you…Be here; be with me; marry me.”

A single tear ran down Kisa’s face and Manola cupped the side of her face, “Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t ask you if I wasn’t.”

Kisa nodded and hugged Manola, “Yes. I will marry you.”

“Oh thank god.” Manola let out a shaky laugh, which Kisa echoed. “I thought about proposing in that damn closet.”

“God, Richard would never let us here the end of it.” Kisa kissed Manola and let her slip the ring on her finger. “Dance with me.”

“You don’t dance.”

“I do with you.”

.:.

  
**3d: Kate and Eddie during the party**

Kate was laughing sitting next to Eddie watching Jess on stage singing her heart out.

“Your friend has a set of pipes.” He complimented.

Kate nodded, “She’s studying music. She’s always been extremely talented and she loves a stage.”

“She does seem a bit on the dramatic side.” Eddie winked as Jess shimmed on the stage and blew kiss the crowd.

“Ya think?” Kate sipped from her water. “I’m just glad she’s in my corner.” She glanced over to the bar a watched Seth showing Becki how to spin a bottle on the palm of her hand, giving her a high-five when she pulled it off. “Seth seems like he’d make a good boss.”

“The El Rey did really well when he ran it. Good location helped, but we put a lot of work into that place. He was right to be proud of it. It was a shame he lost it.”

Kate heard Eddie talking, but she was watching Seth, his smile and energy…he really was impressive at times. “It is. Has he ever tried to get it back?”

“He did, but the guy who bought it from Vanessa wouldn’t considering selling it back. That was not a good day.” Eddie glanced at his watch.

“I can’t imagine it was.” Kate yawned despite the energy in the room. “Would you mind taking me home? I’m kinda tired.”

“No problem, Angel. Getting past my bedtime anyway.”

 

****

So I enjoyed a bits of these scenes, but ultimately didn't need them. The proposal was sweet - but I didn't want to change the narrator. Also I loved Jess's line to Richie... it made me laugh.


	5. Deleted Scene 4: From the Side Story. Richie Tells Anna how Ray died

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!! Trigger warning for this scene. I cut this one because the tone was just too dark for the rest of the piece and oh god how it hurt my heart. This scene is Richie and Anna discussing Ray's death and how that happened. There will be mentions of the abuse that the Gecko's suffered at Ray's hand. So please be prepared for that.

***Richie and Anna after they find out who Anna’s birth parents are***

 ***READ THE WARNING IN THE CHAPTER SUMMERY***

 

Richie was sitting on Anna’s window seat staring out over the quiet street wishing for the first time in years for a cigarette. He had a pack in his hand, it was cold from being the fridge for months; Anna had quit smoking only weeks before they’d met and hadn’t thrown out her last pack. He turned it over a few times before setting it aside on the table.

It had been a very long time since he dreamed of lighter fluid in his nostrils and heat on his hands, but tonight he woke in cold sweat with the sounds of screaming and his brother’s pleas to save Ray in his ears.

He glanced at the clock, it was just shy of 3 A.M. and Anna was still sleeping. He hadn’t intended to keep anything from her, but he hadn’t had the conversation with her yet and he should have. They had been dating for months; she deserved to know what he did; what he was. He ran his hands through his hair.

Anna didn’t know. She didn’t know he was…didn’t know what he’d done as a child…that he’d… Richie examined his hands, knowing that they weren’t actually stained with blood; there hadn’t been any blood but… He needed to tell her. He needed to man up and fucking tell her.

“Are you alright?” Anna’s voice broke the silence of the dark apartment.

He was so distracted he didn’t hear her walk up to him.

Her blonde hair was mussed-up and it looked she was only wearing his shirt that she’d claimed the first time he stayed over. She sat on the opposite side of the window seat, seeming to understand from his body language that he wanted space. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“My thoughts are worth more than that, you should ask my editor.” He reflexively responded with one of their inside jokes, even though he was miles away it pulled him back to her.

“There you are." She smiled softly, "I was worried you were too upset for our joke.”

He wanted to snatch her up and hide in her smile, in her encouragement, in her gentle loving nature. He couldn’t find the words, mostly because he didn’t want to.

“Come on now, what’s on your mind?” It wasn’t demanding  or prying, it was coaxing  - trying to understand where he was.

She was right to coax him, because he needed to tell her. He looked away from her, back at his hands, then up at her again. “My father, Ray…he wasn’t good.”

Anna’s posture stiffened. He imagined that was because of the little things that she’d already heard about Ray. She knew that his father was dead, not a kind man, but beyond that it was maybe some other little details that Kate told her, but he wasn’t sure what that might entail. But Anna didn’t know…

“He was horrible, actually. He drank a lot; always angry. Some of it…it was my fault. I would run my mouth. Sometimes I couldn’t help it. I had to say whatever was on my mind; I had to get it out. He hit me sometimes, but usually it was Seth.  He hurt Seth a lot, but it was always my fault… Ray would get mad, but before he could get to me, Seth would distract him. And Seth would usually be the one to get hurt, but it was always my fault.”

“Richie…”

“I could have taken it, you know. Seth didn’t have to get between us, but he almost always did… I tried to make it right, sneak us past Ray whenever I could. I’d plan ways around him you know; I’m smart with stuff like that, not with everything, but I can make plans.”

_It was his fault_. Every blow Seth endured, every scar his brother had; it was his fault. If he could have just kept his fucking mouth shut. If hadn’t been so screwed up in the head, Seth wouldn’t have gone through all of that. If he just could have been normal. He cleared his throat and averted his eyes, unable to bear the sight of her as he continued.

“I killed my father.” He spat it out. “I dosed him in lighter fluid.”

Anna sat quiet, listening as rested her hand on his knee.

The room in the air is heavy again, like that moment earlier this evening when they thought they might be related. But this is somehow worse. _What if she didn’t understand? What if she wanted him to leave? What if… What if…_ He had to push through this; had to explain why. He hadn’t wanted to, but….

He could feel himself start to shake as he forced himself to finish the story. He didn’t want to tell her this, but she needed to know. Needed to know what he really was.

“He would always fall asleep with a lit cigarette, so I knew it would work. That’s how I killed him.” His throat was tight, it hurt. “This one night Ray was on a tare; I must have done something to piss him off and I don’t remember what it was, but he was coming right for me and Seth yelled to get his attention… Ray hit Seth with a bottle… And he shouldn’t have been the one, because it was my fault.” He reiterated because he needed her to understand. He needed her to know that Seth wasn’t the bad one.

And he could still hear the sound of that bottle breaking against his brother’s skull, “…Seth just dropped to the ground like a rock to the bottom of a pool. I thought he was dead I…I thought he was dead. I was so scared.”

There were tears dripping down Anna’s cheeks.

“Ray; he didn’t even care. Just sat back down in his chair and lit a cigarette. Seth finally made a sound, so I helped clean him up and put him to bed, but I shouldn’t have. He could have had a concussion. I coulda killed him. I wanted to call someone, but Seth kept telling me he was fine, but he wasn’t. He wasn’t fine and it was my fault! I don’t know why I did it. I just knew that if I didn’t do something he was going to kill us. He was going to murder my brother.”

Anna still wasn’t talking, only listening _. Did she hate him?_ He didn’t know how to make sense of her silent tears.

“Ray was passed out when I came back into the living room, that lit cigarette still in his hand. So, I took the lighter fluid and sprayed it all over the carpet and him and just waited for that cigarette to fall and it did." He could feel the tears running down his face and he ripped off his glasses, tossing them against the window as he covered his face with his hands. "The fire was so hot, but I got Seth out. I didn’t care that I killed Ray. I didn’t care…”

Suddenly Anna was on his lap, pulling his hands away from his face and wrapping her body around his. She cradled his head to her shoulder, smoothing his hair, whispering to him as she rocked with him. “Stop.  Just stop. You did nothing wrong. You were scared and desperate. You thought he was going to kill your brother. You were defending him. You were trying to stay alive. Richie, Richie, oh my dear heart…”

“But I..”

She caught his face in her hands forcing him to look at her, wiping his tears away, “Nothing you or Seth could have ever done would have merited what he did to you; nothing. What he did to you and your brother was abuse and it was wrong. You did not deserve any of the things he did to you. I am so sorry that you went through that. I am so sorry for what he did to you, for how he made you feel, for everything you were made to endure. It was not your fault, it was his fault for doing it to you.”

He let out a grateful sob, crushing her to him. _She wasn’t going to leave him_. “I love you so much.” He whispered into her skin. “I swear, I’m better…I’d never hurt you. I’d never hurt you.”

“Shh. Shh. Richie, it’s alright. I love you and I’m not going anywhere. Nothing will change that. You are safe with me. I promise, Richie, you are safe.”

 


	6. Deleted Scene 5: Family Moment With Seth, Kate, and Lizzie

***Seth, Kate, and Lizzie – Lizzie is about 9mnths***

 

Lizzie squealed loudly and banged on the keyboard that Scott had bought her.

“Little Lady, I think you make as much noise as your toy.” Seth teased and his daughter screeched happily in response. “You’ve got a set of lungs on you too.”

“Does that surprise you?” Kate glanced up over her book.

“Not really, I mean you’re pretty loud. Ouch!” Seth grunted as Kate shoved at him with her foot.

“Jerk.”

“I keep telling you that. You keep not believing me.”  Seth winked and slid off the couch to sit with Lizzie on the floor, who crawled over and pulled herself upright by pulling on his shirt. “Up on your feet again, huh? You trying to get somewhere?”

Lizzie rocked on her unsteady feet and babbled at him.

“She’s a little short for her age.”

“She’s a baby.”

“I didn’t say it was bad, just that statistically she’s short for her age.” Kate set down her book and unlocked her phone taking a few pictures. “You should have heard this woman at the park yesterday. She gushed about how Lizzie could be a model with her eyes the way they are.”

“Absolutely fucking not. It’s bad enough that Jess took all those crazy pictures of her and put them on her Inta-whatever.” Seth winced as Lizzie pinched his skin with her next tug of his shirt. “No one needs to be looking at her.”

“Instagram; I made her take most of them down.” Kate smiled and took a few more pictures, waving as Lizzie started bouncing on her feet. “She looks so much like you.”

Seth looked at Lizzie and bumped his nose against hers, “She looks like you too. But I’d rather her end up acting like you; if there’s a choice in that.” He blew air in Lizzie’s face and she giggled. “Please, please be like your Momma and not your crazy Dad.”

“Da. Da. Da!”

He grinned unable to help it. “That’s me, Little Lady.”

Lizzie pushed away from him and stood rocking on her heels, but upright without help.

“Kate.”

“Hmm?” Kate had gone back to her textbook.

“Put the book down. Look at Lizzie.” Seth watched Lizzie scrunch her face in concentration. “Go get Momma.”

Kate gasped and scrambled for her phone as Lizzie took three unsteady steps before reaching the couch edge and grabbed Kate’s leg. “Oh my God! Your first steps! You just walked!! Oh my god!”


	7. Deleted Scene 6: Kate and Anna Discuss a Secret or Two

***From the side story. Lizzie’s Birthday: between Fourth of July and Christmas***

 

Kate watched from the kitchen window as Seth hoisted Lizzie up on his shoulder and spun a circle with her. She smiled unconsciously.

“He’s so good with her.” Anna observed next to her as reached for the plate Kate had just rinsed.

“He really is.” She shook her head, “It’s so hard to believe that she’s three already; it just flew by.” Kate turned around to see Anna putting away the plate and noticed the black ink on her side. “I didn’t know you had a tattoo.”

Anna flushed red as she lifted her shirt a bit to expose the lettering on her skin, “My one and only spring break in college. I was so drunk, that I don’t even remember getting it. And it’s practically a tramp stamp.”

Kate leaned down so she could inspect it closer. “ _We’re all just stories in the end_ …That’s so cool though, considering you’re an editor now.”

“It’s a Dr. Who quote.” She admitted quietly.

“Seriously?!? Richie’s a huge fan, he must have been so excited that you like the show too.” Kate started washing out a coffee cup.

“I’d never seen it.” Anna glanced out the window, as if making sure Richie wasn’t in earshot. “When he realized I had a tattoo and what it said. He launched into this excited tailspin about the show, how amazing it was, how it had run for so long, and how it had gone through a reboot and then he asked me who my favorite doctor was.”

“Oh my god, what did you say?”

“I barely kept up with him when he was talking so fast I just said the first one after the reboot and that was apparently a good answer.” Anna chuckled. “We spent the next few weeks re-watching it. And if you ever tell him…”

Kate was laughing along with Anna, “Your secret is safe with me. Just don’t ever tell Seth that I can’t stand the older Mad Max movies.”

“My lips are sealed.”


	8. Deleted Scene 7: Flashback from Eddie and Ray's Robbery with Jane

***Flashback from Eddie and Jane’s story***

 

“Just keep kissing the carpet and we won’t have a problem.” Eddie kept sweeping the branch with his eyes, making sure everyone stayed put. “You about done, man?”

“I got it; we’re good.” Ray came around the corner, duffle bag in hand and he tossed it to Eddie. “Now you fine people start counting down from a hundred and this can be a fun little story that you…” A door to Ray’s right swung up and a dark-haired girl with a bag slung over her shoulder appeared gasping in shock at the sight of them.

Eddie trained his gun on her, getting ready to tell her to hit the floor, but Ray snagged her and pressed the pistol to her temple. What the hell was Ray thinking?!?

“Oh looky here, we got a hero here.” Ray tightened his grip on the girl. “You trying to be Wonder Woman or something, Doll? Gonna stop the big bad bank robbers?”

“N..No.” She was looking from Ray to himself, lip quivering she was fucking terrified. “I was just…just getting something out of my safe deposit box. Please…please don’t hurt me.”

“Maybe it’s something worth taking with us?” Ray leaned closer to the girl, “Maybe you’re worth taking with us?”

She let out a choked sob and Eddie ground his teeth together. “We’re on the clock. Time to bust outta here. Drop her to the floor and let’s go.”

“She’s gonna unlock the door for us; aren’t you, Doll?” Ray pushed back him keep the girl in front of him.

“Yeah…I can do that.” She unclicked the lock and pushed the door open, sirens blaring in the distance, getting closer.

“Hurry the fuck up.” Eddie shoved Ray in the back and they hustled to the car, but Ray was still dragging the girl. “That the hell are you doing?”

“Insurance policy.” Ray smirked.

“We don’t take hostages.” Eddie snarled.

Ray popped the trunk of the car and pushed the girl in, “We fucking do today, unless you want to chat with the cops.”

Eddie paused for a beat then they both jumped into the car and Eddie pealed out of the parking lot. He was going to kill Ray; this was the day that he became a solo act. They didn’t take hostages. Hostages were messy, they caused complications and they didn’t need those. This was supposed to be a simple job and Ray…Ray was laughing.

He glanced over at Ray who was fucking doubled over in the passenger seat laughing his ass off. He had to be on something…

“What the hell is so funny?!?” Eddie took a sharp corner the tires of the Pontiac squealing in protest. “Ray, what the hell is so damn funny? Are you outta your damn mind?”

Ray just kept laughing but before Eddie could scream at him again the back seat flipped down and the girl rolled out of the trunk. Eddie scrambled for his gun. He didn’t want to shoot this girl, but…

“Blue-Eyes, keep your eyes on the road and your foot on the petal; I don’t want to get caught today.” She smirked at him and Ray continued to laugh.

 

*** I changed this to Eddie telling the story because it worked so much better and we were able to see the interaction of the Geckos***


	9. Deleted Scene 8: Anna’s surprise and Richie proposal

***Anna’s surprise and Richie proposal***

 

Christmas was one of those holidays that before Seth had a kid he didn’t really care about, but now? He loved watching Lizzie go crazy and Kate light up, so now the holiday was a lot of fun. They traded off spending Christmases in Bethel, up in Kansas at Eddie’s cabin, or in Houston – depending on schedules. This year they were up at Eddie’s cabin and after Lizzie went to bed they finished putting all the presents under the tree.

“Richie, this is ridiculous. How many presents did you buy her?” Kate had her hands on her hips.

His brother shrugged, “A few more than a couple and I didn’t buy her a pony, I followed the rules.”

“Just barely…I had to talk him out of it.” Anna descended the stairs, but she still looked pale, even for her.

Richie caught her hand on the last step, leaning his forehead against the crown of her head. “Are you feeling any better?”

Anna waved him off, “I told you, it was just something I ate at the office party. Did you bring in that black bag in?”

“Yeah, it’s under the tree. Are you…”

“Stop, please.” She fed her fingers through his and inclined her head towards Kate. “If I get worse, we have a wonderful nurse right there.”

“Here, here, but maybe not if I finish this glass of wine.” Kate snickered, leaning against Seth. “Did you want a glass?”

“No, no. I drink whiskey when I drink, but with my stomach the way it’s been. I’ll stick with tea.” Anna retrieved the black bag from under the tree. “But first I have a surprise for everyone.”

Richie sat down on the floor by the fire and Anna handed one of the small wrapped boxes to him, one to Eddie and one to him and Kate. She curled up next to Richie and motioned for them to open them.

Eddie started unwrapping his gift as Kate tore into theirs, while Richie picked carefully as the tapped edges. It was no bigger than a book. _Had Richie finished another one?_ He’d written a second book, a follow-up telling a version of his and Anna’s story in fiction format. The first one just hit Hollywood, thankfully, enough was changed that unless you knew the real story, it was impossible to know it was his and Kate’s story.

Seth glanced over at Eddie, who had tears in his eyes. Oh, it was another book…if that idiot brother of his fleshed out Eddie and their mother’s story he was gonna put his foot so far up Richie’s…

“Oh my gosh…” Kate breathed against this neck.

He looked down and it wasn’t a book it was a shadow box…and he only knew it was a shadow box, because Kate made a few for Lizzie’s room. But it was the words on it that had no doubt caused his wife’s gasp. There was a picture of himself, Kate, and Lizzie, but the words that framed the photo read: Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin.

Richie was still picking carefully at the present, Seth rolled his eyes. Anna was practically dying next to him.

“You gonna finish opening that sometime this century?” Seth prodded.

Richie paused and flipped him off, “It’s my gift, I’ll open it at my own pace.” Anna groaned into her hands and Richie relented, “Alright, I’m sorry.” He tore through the paper and blinked at whatever was written on his. Richie dropped the frame on the floor and captured Anna’s face in his hands. “Are you serious? Are you sure?”

Anna nodded and squealed as Richie hauled her onto his lap laughing and hugging her, despite the tears in his eyes. “Merry Christmas.”

The frame on the floor announcing: **There’s going to be a new character in our Love-Story.**

 

.:.

 

It was cold, it was cold as fucking hell and he was miserable, but Anna was happy. She was still morning-sick, which was not pleasant to watch her go through, but he was ecstatic that they were going to have a child together. Anna had her PK to consider, but the OB Kate recommended was one of the best, so he was trying to not overthink everything. Anna fussed that she should have waited until she was further along to tell everyone, but it was already done. “We do things as a family.” He’d reminded her quietly.

So here they were in Chicago. Anna had lit up on the trip, showing him all the places that she’d loved growing up here. Even with her being a little tired, she was glowing all bundled up with the snow falling down. The black box was burning a hole in his pocket reminding him of how special this New Years was going to be. He’d almost backed out of this plan. He’d talked to Kate after Christmas dinner confiding that he was worried about Anna thinking that he was only proposing because of the pregnancy. Kate had encouraged him that the trip was already planned and Anna wouldn’t think that at all. _But she might…_

They were walking along the pier her hand in his, in his coat pocket. “This was always my favorite place. I used to come here to read and people watch. I could be in this huge crowd, but no one would notice me or talk to me. It was like being a part of something, without the mess of being part of it…” She laughed, “That’s so ridiculous. I sound like a maniac.”

“You sound like a classic introvert.” He corrected tugging her closer. “I’m glad you’re so happy.”

“I am. I can’t tell you how much this trip has meant to me. This time next year, we’re going to have a baby.” She looked up at him through her lashes, which the snow was sticking to. She looked like a painting. “Are we ready for that?”

 “A little late now.” He brushed the snow from her cheeks. “I can do the impossible with you. Nothing to fear.”

“You make me so brave.”

“You make me better.” He held her face in his hands and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. “Almost midnight; make a wish.”

“I really couldn’t want for anything more.” She went to kiss him, but he pressed his finger to her lips. He lifted her hands up and kissed both of them, before dropping to one knee. “Oh my...This is happening.”

He laughed despite his nerves, “Traditionally one does this with a ring. The idea of the symbolism of a never-ending circle, representing never-ending love and diamonds are used because of…well that has to do with capitalism and the diamond industry, but regardless, I’m rambling and I should get to the point. As I said traditionally this would be done with a ring, but we have very different tastes in jewelry, but aside of that, I wanted…I wanted to give you something that meant something to me.” He opened the box to reveal a pair of twinset diamond studs. “These were my mothers. Eddie gave them to her and she left them for him with a letter before she disappeared. I want you to have them. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, because you are the only one for me. Anna Lauren Kane, will you marry me?”

She was openly crying as she nodded and tugged him up so she could throw her arms around his neck. “Yes, yes, yes. I love you so much.”

“I promise; I will buy you a ring.” He assured her.

“I don’t care.” The crowd around them started to clap and Anna buried her face into his shoulder. “We just can do it at the Courthouse when we get home. That’s all I want; just Eddie, Seth, Kate, Lizzie, and us. No fussing, please.”

“I’ll do my best.” He kissed her again. “We should call home.”

“Does Eddie know?”

Richie looked away, but Anna grabbed his chin forcing him to face her.

“Richard, did everyone know about this proposal but me?”

“Well, I have been planning it for a year.”


	10. Deleted Scene 9: Nighttime at Eddie's

***Nighttime at Eddie's***

 

“A dis won. ‘Anpa Ed-dee, a dis won.” Lizzie toddled up to Eddie, who sitting in his recliner, with a book in her hands.

Eddie scooped her up into his lap and examined the book. “The star book again, huh?”

“Oha yesh! A dis won!” She cuddled up to him leaning against his chest.

He kissed the top of her head and opened the book, “ _Once there was a baby star. He lived up near the sun. And every night at bedtime that baby star wanted to have fun.”_

“We ha’ ‘un a’nay! Pway owe-sye a’nay !” Lizzie explained how they fun outside today in her baby babble that was fast being replaced with real words. She was picking up vocab way faster than normal; his granddaughter was gifted.

“We did have fun today.” Eddie turned the next page, “ _He would shine and shine, and fall and shoot and twinkle oh-so-bright. And he said, ‘Mommy, I’ll run away if you make me say goodnight.’ And then his mommy kissed his sparkly nose…”_

“Iss, Iss!” Lizzie pushed herself up in the chair so he could kiss her nose. “I is sar!”

“Yes you're our baby star. Come on now sit back down.” He started to rock the chair slowly as he continued. “No matter where you go, no matter where you are, no matter how big you grow and even if you stray far, I’ll love you forever, because you’ll always be my baby star.’.”

“Agin.” Lizzie yawed.

“Okay. We can read it again.” He kept the slow rock of the chair going and sure enough in about ten minutes, the little girl was out like a light. He got out of the chair with her and walked into her nursery, laying her down in her crib. He watched her for a minute, to make sure she was actually sleeping before letting himself back out of the room.

The front door opened as he got the end of the hallway as Kate let herself in. “Hey, Eddie. Is everyone asleep?”

“Yup. Although Lizzie snuck past Seth again to get to the living room to see me. I think she might be a born cat-burglar.”

“Don’t even joke.” Kate started a pot of coffee, “It’s bad enough that Richie’s already showing her how to pick locks.”

“That’s a life skill.” Eddie snickered.

Kate rolled her eyes and cut up an apple to snack on. “You’re as bad as Seth. I swear when I turned my back those to yahoos were congratulating each other on her ability to sneak out of her crib.”

“I guarantee they were.” Eddie laughed. “You want something more than that apple?”

“I’m good with this and the coffee, when it’s ready.”

“What’s on the agenda tonight?”

“Advanced studies of the Cardiovascular System.”

Eddie arched his eyebrow, “Yeah, I’ll make you sandwich, while you get started.”

“Thank you Eddie.”

“No trouble, Angel.”

“Ah! MA! MAAA!”  Lizzie squealed from the hallway and a thud sounded from Seth and Kate’s bedroom with a muffled, ‘What the Fuck.’

Kate picked up Lizzie and hugged her tightly, “You, are supposed to be in bed, Sweetheart.”

“Na. Na. I…” Lizzie turned her attention back to the hallway, “DA!! DAAA!”

Seth was rubbing his hands over his hand, but instantly reached for his daughter, “What are you doing up, Little Lady. You are gonna get me in trouble with Momma for you not being in bed.”

“Up _again_. She snuck by you _again_.” Eddie teased.

Seth looked at Lizzie, “You are definitely my Gecko girl. Come on, let’s read a story.”

“Sar! Sar!” She clapped her hands.

“Okay, we’ll read Baby Star, for three-thousandth time tonight. Give Momma a kiss.” Seth leaned Lizzie over to kiss Kate’s cheek and he kissed the other one. “I’ll be out when she’s asleep.”

“Sounds good.” Kate kissed his cheek, then Lizzie’s , “Goodnight, Sweetheart. I love you.”

“’Ov you ooh.”

Kate sat down at the table and started on her homework, scribbling notes with intermittent sips of coffee and bites of food.  After a while, she noticed that the house was silent and looked around: Eddie was sound asleep in his chair. She shook her head and covered him up with a blanket, before heading down the hall.

She paced into Lizzie’s nursery to find Seth sitting in the rocker with their daughter. “She okay?”

“Yeah. Just watching her. It’s been awhile since she fell asleep in my arms.”

“She’s getting so big.” Kate knelt next to them. “I wish I could slow it down. I’m gone so much.”

“It’s okay. We’re making it work.” Seth stood up and put Lizzie back down. “Stay asleep this time, you little escape-artist.” He tugged at Kate’s hand. “Come on.”

“I have homework.” She groaned quietly as he drug them into their bedroom. He closed the door behind them, pinning her to the wood, trailing kisses down her neck. “Seth, I have homework.”

“Mhmmm.” He slipped his hands under her shirt.

“Seth…” She whined.

“I just need five minutes, Princess.” He nipped at her earlobe.

She couldn’t keep the smirk off her face as she goaded him, “Trying to double your record?”

He paused then snatched her up by the waist, “Oh, you are in for it now...and somehow, you’re gonna have to stay quiet.” He laid her out on the bed, crawling on top of her. “Just remember how light of a sleeper your daughter...'Cause I'm gonna make this a challenge for you.”

 

***This went from adorable to Hehhehehe. - I hope you guys enjoyed this one***


End file.
